How to Schedule an RV Test Drive: Your Guide to a Confident Purchase
How to Schedule an RV Test Drive: Your Guide to a Confident Purchase
To schedule an RV test drive at A&L RV Sales, simply visit our website, call your nearest location, or walk into any of our eight family-owned dealerships across Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Our team will have your shortlisted Grand Design, Brinkley, Forest River, or Alliance RV travel trailer prepped and ready — no pressure, no rush, just a relaxed experience built around helping your family make a confident decision.
Buying a travel trailer is an investment in your family's adventures for the next decade or more. A brochure can show you the floor plan, but only a real walk-through — slides open, bunks down, kitchen in use — and a live tow experience on local roads will tell you whether a unit truly fits your family's life. That's exactly what we're here for.
Why Testing Your Future RV Matters
At A&L RV Sales, we've spent over 30 years helping families across the Southeast find travel trailers and fifth wheels that fit their real lives — not just their wish lists. We understand that choosing a travel trailer means thinking about how it tracks behind your truck on a winding Tennessee back road, how the slide-out operates at your favorite campsite, and whether the bunkhouse actually works for your kids' bedtime routines.
Whether you're navigating the rolling hills of East Tennessee or the coastal roads of North Carolina, the "feel" of the rig is something you simply cannot get from a product page. Scheduling a test drive — or in the case of a towable trailer, a live tow experience — is the single most important step between browsing and buying.
How to Schedule Your RV Test Drive at A&L RV Sales
We make the process as simple and straightforward as possible. Here's how it works:
Step 1: Browse Our Inventory
Before you visit, explore our online inventory to see current models from Grand Design, Brinkley, Forest River, Jayco, Alliance RV, and Coachmen. Knowing which floor plan interests you — bunkhouse, rear living, front bedroom — allows our team to have the right unit prepped and ready when you arrive.
Step 2: Choose Your Nearest Location
With eight locations across four states, there's an A&L RV Sales dealership close to home:
Tennessee: Johnson City, Murfreesboro, Sevierville, Columbia, and Jackson
Georgia: Lake Park
North Carolina: Greenville
Virginia: Richmond
Step 3: Contact Our Team
You can schedule your appointment three ways:
Online Form: Fill out the contact form on alrvsales.com and specify the model you'd like to walk through
Phone Call: Our staff is happy to discuss specs, floor plans, and find a time that works for your schedule
Walk-In: While we recommend an appointment to ensure your unit is available and prepped, you're always welcome to stop by for a relaxed, no-pressure tour
What to Bring and What to Expect
When you arrive at any A&L RV Sales location, you're not just a customer walking through a lot — you're a family making a major decision, and our team treats it that way.
What to Have Ready
A valid driver's license for all drivers who will tow or operate the unit
Your tow vehicle's specifications — payload rating and towing capacity — if you're considering a travel trailer or fifth wheel. This helps us confirm the right match before you ever hitch up
Your co-pilot — bring whoever will be sharing driving duties, navigating, or living in the rig with you
The A&L Experience
Your visit starts with a thorough walk-through while the unit is parked. Our specialist will walk you through how the slide-outs operate, the quality of the cabinetry and construction, storage layouts, the kitchen setup, and sleeping arrangements. Once you're comfortable with the unit itself, we move to the tow experience on local roads — where the real confidence-building happens.
Evaluating Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheels During Your Test Drive
Different brands prioritize different things in the way they tow and handle. Here's what to pay attention to when experiencing the top brands we carry:
Brinkley and Grand Design
These brands are known for applying premium engineering to the towing experience. When testing a Brinkley Model Z fifth wheel or a Grand Design Reflection or Imagine travel trailer, pay close attention to the suspension system. These units are specifically engineered to minimize trailer sway and the "chucking" motion that can make long highway hauls uncomfortable. The difference between a premium-built fifth wheel and an entry-level unit is immediately felt on the road — not just seen on a spec sheet.
Forest River and Jayco
Forest River's Wildwood, Rockwood, and Cherokee travel trailer lines offer excellent towing stability across a range of tow vehicle types. Jayco models — particularly the Jay Flight and Eagle series — often include enhanced suspension packages that make them a favorite for families who plan to cover significant mileage. During your tow experience, notice how the trailer tracks behind the truck, how it responds to lane changes, and how the electric brake controller integrates with your vehicle.
Alliance RV
Alliance builds with full-time and extended-use families in mind. Their travel trailers and fifth wheels are reinforced specifically for the kind of regular use that weekend warriors and full-timers put on their rigs. During your walk-through, ask our team to point out the accessible shut-off valves, reinforced cabinetry, and structural details that make Alliance units stand apart for long-term owners.
Tips for a Successful RV Test Drive
If this is your first time towing a large travel trailer, there's no reason to be nervous. Our team walks every first-time tower through the process. A few expert tips to keep in mind:
Mirror check first: Before moving, adjust all tow mirrors. When towing a trailer, your mirrors are your primary safety tool — extended tow mirrors are a must if your truck's standard mirrors don't clear the trailer's width
Feel the brakes: The electric brake controller in your tow vehicle works in sync with the trailer's brake system. Our team will confirm the controller is calibrated correctly before you pull out
Practice a wide turn: Find a quiet area to practice a right-hand turn. Understanding the "off-tracking" of a long trailer helps build real confidence quickly
Test at highway speed: Merging onto a highway and maintaining 60–65 mph tells you far more about how a trailer tows than a 25 mph parking lot loop
Ask about backup cameras: Many Alliance and Brinkley models come equipped with rear and side cameras — make sure to see these active during your drive
The Warranty Forever Advantage
One of the most common concerns families raise after a test drive is: what happens if something goes wrong on the road? At A&L RV Sales, our answer is the Warranty Forever program — included at no additional cost on qualifying new and pre-owned units.
Coverage includes:
Suspension and Braking Systems
Water and LP Gas Systems
Heating and Air Conditioning
Kitchen Appliances — refrigerator, oven, and microwave
No deductible. No expiration. As long as you maintain the annual service schedule, your coverage stays active for as long as you own the unit. When you're out on your tow experience, you can feel confident knowing A&L stands behind the unit — not just for today, but for the long haul.
Why Choose a Family-Owned Dealership?
In an era of massive corporate chains, A&L RV Sales remains family-owned and operated. For your test drive experience, that distinction matters in three concrete ways:
Personalized service: We're not chasing monthly quotas. Our goal is to find the travel trailer that genuinely fits your family's lifestyle — even if that means sending you home to think about it
Community roots: From Murfreesboro to Richmond, we live in the same communities we serve. Our reputation is built entirely on your long-term satisfaction
Consistent staff: Because we're family-run, our team members stay with us for years. The same consultant who walks you through your test drive today is the same person you'll see in our service department two years from now
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a special license to test drive or tow an RV?
In Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina, a standard driver's license is sufficient for most consumer travel trailers and fifth wheels. No CDL is required for personal recreational use. Our team will confirm any specific weight considerations for the unit you're evaluating.
Can I test drive a travel trailer?
While you don't "drive" a towable trailer, we absolutely offer a live tow experience — hitching the unit to your truck (or one of ours) so you can feel exactly how it tracks, responds to steering input, and behaves at highway speeds. This is highly recommended for anyone new to towing and is one of the most valuable parts of the entire purchase process.
How long does the test drive experience take?
We typically plan for about 45 to 60 minutes — including a pre-drive interior walk-through and a 20–30 minute tow loop that covers both surface streets and higher-speed roads. You'll leave with a genuine feel for the unit, not just a brochure impression.
Can I bring my kids?
Absolutely — and we encourage it. We're a family-owned business and we know that the kids' vote on the bunkhouse, the entertainment setup, and the sleeping arrangements matters just as much as the adults'. While children should remain seated during the actual tow experience, the walk-through is designed for the whole family to explore together.
Does the Warranty Forever program cover towable travel trailers?
Yes. For towable units like travel trailers and fifth wheels, Warranty Forever covers the critical internal systems — AC, furnace, water heater, LP gas system, suspension components, and braking systems. It's our most meaningful commitment to your family's long-term peace of mind.