2026 RV PRO RVeterans Honoree Ed Sheppard

As Laurelhurst Distributors grew, Ed Sheppard had a hand in teaching nearly every employee on staff part identification, correct terminology and model nomenclature, basic technical processes and what questions to ask so customers leave Laurelhurst with the exact parts they need.

“Ed’s teaching doesn’t focus on simply memorizing what part goes where and in what. Instead, he aims to reinforce knowledge of how and why appliances break, what procedures to follow to quickly and accurately diagnose problems, and how to identify environmental or outside influence affecting an otherwise functioning appliance. As he often begins his service calls, ‘What’s it doing or not doing?’” his nominator writes.

Being in the industry for more than four decades, Ed often remembers when many changes, mergers and revisions happened.

“These changes can impact which courses of action are available in a given repair situation, and Ed’s guidance here is invaluable in saving time and money on guesswork. To this day, employees and customers alike line up outside his door to run a quick question past our in-house guru. It is a true pleasure and an invaluable asset to have such knowledge at hand.”

Described as a lifelong tinkerer, Ed works to fix before replacing, especially with older, custom and harder to replace appliances.

“Many a technician with an ancient furnace has called him for help, braced for the worst and left with a little-known part and upkeep instructions to make their existing unit last a little longer.

“And when an old dinosaur truly can’t be fixed, Ed will walk his querent through detailed instructions on how to retrofit the closest current model unit into their vintage trailer and what difficulties they should be prepared for.”

Ed has been instrumental in training an entire generation of RV technicians, both at Laurelhurst and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“Not a day goes by without his knowledge being sought by service techs all over the country.”

Ed offers a free one-day technical workshop annually, where he provides useful knowledge on repair procedures any level of repair technician can find beneficial. Participants are often invited to bring their own queries to the workshops as well.

“For those RV disciples wanting to learn not only ‘what’ but also ‘why’ and ‘how’ and the history of the industry, Ed is truly the guru.”

What it means to Ed to work in the RV industry this long:

I’m proud of the 44 years of experience I have given to my career, contributing to the growth of the company and my reputation with our customers.

Ed’s advice for younger people just starting their careers:

Don’t guess! Test everything before replacing anything.