Alliance RV’s Side Patio Design Breaks Fifth Wheel Mold

Alliance RV’s Paradigm 388SP fifth wheel has been drawing plenty of accolades since the manufacturer offered sneak peeks during the fall. The new floorplan focuses on an innovative new side patio.

“Having that side patio with the outdoor kitchen incorporates the indoor/outdoor space, and a nice concession-style window that really invites conversation inside and out, while people are out on the deck,” says Jeremiah Dumka, Alliance RV’s vice president of sales. “Then, with the drop-down TV, it is our first and only standard side patio as well as being our first standard outdoor kitchen.”

Alliance began developing the 388SP at the start of 2025, after massaging the concept for a few years. The inspiration can be traced to the young company’s first rally in 2021. Alliance credits Dumka with being the brains behind the innovation.

“Our customers were already asking for something like this,” Dumka explains.

“We did not want to sacrifice the floorplan to incorporate a side patio, which we felt that other people who have done something similar to this had done. When the sun deck came out, we saw an opportunity to get creative, using the indoor/outdoor space as one and making it an inviting kitchen. We put it in the traditional rear living room floorplan … and I think we knocked it out of the park with what we have going.”

Dumka says for customers seeking an outdoor kitchen, this model is the best way to work it in to a floorplan.

“You literally walk out from your main living area to the kitchen right on out to the patio, and there you have a grill, a griddle and a refrigerator. The patio has its own radio and drop-down TV. Those customers who are looking for space to entertain and be the host, this is a great floorplan for them. You are not sacrificing anything inside for the design layout.”

Strong Debut at Hershey RV Show & Big Ten Championship

Alliance showcased the model, which has an MSRP of around $150,000, at the Big Ten Football Championship in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. It was also featured at Pennsylvania’s Hershey show in September, with a second prototype shown at the Elkhart Open House.

“From the dealer and consumer events, it showed extremely well. We had a nonstop line going into it at the Hershey RV show. Even with a crowd of people inside of it, it still felt very open with the ergonomics of the floorplan. We are already seeing good retail activity out in the field. At the Big 10, like at any sporting event, while it is good for exposure, there are less serious customers than at an RV show. But it gets our name out there, and for a fairly young company, that helps.”

The floorplan’s road show continues in 2026 with stops including the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa, a venue that has been particularly successful for Alliance.

“Tampa is an exceptional show. Last year, we set a record there with sales — we sold around 138 units at that show. It truly is the best time for the consumer to buy. It is a great opportunity for the consumer to take advantage of a great deal. We will have 24 units on display at the Florida RV SuperShow and we couldn’t be more excited to continue to grow the Alliance brand.”

Dumka notes that the traditional demographic for a model like this would be 55-plus, but the demographic is ever-changing. It keeps getting younger, with more late-20s and early-30s buyers starting to get into tiny homes and full-time RV living. They want to be able to stay mobile and travel. The gradual expansion of the demographic is good for the future success of the company, he says.

Engineering Driven by Sales

The models began hitting dealer lots in November. Dumka believes the floorplan will be popular enough to generate sales of 300 to 350 units in the first year. Retail orders were streaming in by the end of 2025.

“We are very happy with the showing, and the retail views and the retail sales we have had already,” Dumka says. “The dealers have been ecstatic about the floorplan and the innovation. They are so used to the cookie-cutter floorplan, where everyone is doing a traditional layout.”

Relentless improvement is Alliance’s goal. Dumka refers to that as a core value, and as a small company, Alliance is nimble enough to move rapidly with an idea.

“We aren’t just here to build trailers; we are here to engineer the ideas that redefine the standard and compel people to step inside,” Dumka says. “So far, this one has been a pretty flawless design. We want to be willing to take risks, but to do it in a thoughtful way that will reap rewards both for us and for our dealer partners. Even if you didn’t use the patio, it would still be a unique and viable floorplan design.”

While the fifth wheel market is down, Dumka says 2025 was overall a growth year for Alliance. Years of heavy investment in research and development and engineering have come to fruition.

“Our service and quality and marketing have always been top-notch. The coming together of all of these components have really propelled us in ways that are paying off in a major way. We are up 30% this year,” says Dumka, who was interviewed in December 2025, “and there is really no reason why we couldn’t outperform this year by next year, based on our total lineup, with new products coming out.”

Dumka says RVers are taking RVing more seriously these days, and desire all of the new upgrades. They want quality, and they want to be able to use their unit year-round.

“Prior to 2021, RVs stayed within the same cost structure for many years. But now we are seeing pricing go up, in a major way that I have never seen before. People are adding content. Customers still want more. When you look at it, you have a fully loaded Paradigm that may be $150,000, but it has a TCS suspension, it has triple AC, fully furnished with sofas and TVs. The value proposition for the consumer is still high.”

Alliance RV has 235 dealers in its network, a number Dumka says is just right. He describes Alliance as a flagship brand, with just one dealer in each market.

“We want to make sure that our dealers are able to maintain margin and service their customers to the best of their ability,” he says. “I think our dealers have been doing that. They want to drive products that will keep the lights on and the employees happy, and the consumers happy. So, it is a win-win for everyone.”

Alliance constantly solicits customer feedback. The company works social media, consumer shows and organizes owners rallies — all of which are major sources of input. Customers are interviewed, and the company is quick to adapt and change in response.

“We are building the RV for them, not for us,” Dumka says. “It is so important to get that feedback. At our rally, when we did the 3D walk-through of our proposed new unit, they came back to us with some great nuggets, and we ended up implementing some of those because they made sense.”