More than

800,000

people buy a new or used RV in the United States each year.
One thing every RV (new and used) has in common;

they ALL have something wrong with them.

Do you know what is wrong with the RV you are planning to buy?


Joy > Regret

You buy an RV to bring your family JOY, to make special memories, to see far away places, taking your dog, cat, and fish with you. You don’t buy an RV to have REGRET, wishing you had known the true condition of the RV BEFORE you bought it.


My name is David russell
(rv shepherd)

I’m a veteran U.S. Navy Submariner. My wife and I are also full-time RVers. I would love to help you have confidence in your RV buying experience by providing a Certified RV Inspection before you finalize a purchase. Schedule a FREE 30 min call with me today.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING


David saved me from making a bad decision. I was considering the purchase of an RV in Ft. Pierce, FL. I hired David to take a look at… read more

Meredith Whitney Avatar Meredith Whitney
July 17, 2023

We are so glad we found RV Shepherd in our search for certified inspectors. We had a bad experience with another company, so it was so refreshing to find… read more

Cindy Merrill Avatar Cindy Merrill
April 5, 2023

It was just by chance we found Dave to do an rv inspection for us. He wanted to make sure we read his reviews so we would be comfortable working… read more

Barbara MacMannis Avatar Barbara MacMannis
March 26, 2023

One of the nicest and most professional rv inspectors I’ve ever met. Extremely punctual and knowledgeable. Was kind enough to drive to camping world in Fort Pierce to look at… read more

Emily Rose Avatar Emily Rose
March 26, 2023

I highly recommened you hire RV Shepherd whether buying new or used. I’ve been dealing with warranty repair issues on my brand new 2021 Winnegabo for over a year.… read more

Daniel Garcia Avatar Daniel Garcia
February 26, 2023

An inspector with integrity! We hired RV Shepherd to inspect a used diesel pusher. We were pressed for time and he pulled the fluid analysis before doing the inspection. Thank… read more

Gary Bailey Avatar Gary Bailey
January 25, 2023

David @ RV Shepherd is great! He was prompt in getting back to us to set up the initial call, scheduled the inspection with the local RV Dealer, and… read more

Margaret Brown Avatar Margaret Brown
January 11, 2023

No need to shop around. This is the guy. We couldn’t recommend more highly.

Carisa Cunningham Avatar Carisa Cunningham
January 8, 2023

David at RV Shepherd did an excellent job inspecting our new to us 2020 Winnebago View. We were over 1,000 miles away from the dealership and it gave us great… read more

Kristin Weigand Avatar Kristin Weigand
November 30, 2022

RV Shepherd was extremely helpful when I purchased my motorhome. The report was very detailed and provided very useful information. He took a good amount of time on the phone… read more

Laura Taylor Oostdyk Avatar Laura Taylor Oostdyk
November 29, 2022

David is awesome! He is very thorough and checks everything! David was very kind and patience, answering all our questions. I would highly recommend David. He is professional and very… read more

Nicole Hughes Avatar Nicole Hughes
November 19, 2022

I am new to the RV world but it is something my wife and have been wanting to pursue for many years. Even though the RV that I was looking… read more

Jean-Jacques Alford Avatar Jean-Jacques Alford
October 22, 2022

David went the extra mile and found a water leak in a RV we wanted to purchase. Finding the hidden damage in advance of our purchase probably saved us months/years… read more

Johnny Dalrymple Avatar Johnny Dalrymple
September 12, 2022

If you want an RV inspector who will go “above and beyond” to get you the information you need to make an informed purchase, then I believe David Russell should… read more

Coral Undzis Avatar Coral Undzis
September 12, 2022

Real informative, knowledgeable inspector who cares about helping you. Timely, professional communication. Highly recommend and would use this service again if needed.

Rob Adamo Avatar Rob Adamo
July 12, 2022

David is a fabulous inspector! He is thorough with exceptional attention to detail and work ethic. He is very kind and easy to talk to. I feel comfortable asking him… read more

Hairchitexture Salon Avatar Hairchitexture Salon
June 12, 2022

David is good person to work with, very through, high quality service. I highly recommend him.

Jennifer Tipton Avatar Jennifer Tipton
May 12, 2022


Four Steps to Enjoy the RV Life

1:

YOU

Schedule a Call
2.

WE

Inspect the RV
3.
SELLER
has Repairs Made
4.
YOU
Enjoy the RV Life

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Slideout Seals

|

If you own an RV with a slideout then you know the almost magical transformation that happens when it is deployed. Recreational Vehicles are not known for their sprawling square footage. Whether you’re a full-time RVer or a weekend warrior, every square foot counts. And boy do those slideouts make a difference. There is one potential drawback to a slideout, the fact that it slides-out through a giant hole in the sidewall. Let’s not even talk about potential mechanical failure in the slideout mechanism. Instead, let’s focus this article on preventing water intrusion through the biggest hole in the RV, the slideout joints.

I’m not even sure if “joint” is the best word to use to describe the intersection of slideout and RV sidewall. But you get the idea. There is an intersection, a point, and a penetration point where the slideout moves through the sidewall. You can’t have a zero clearance between the two. If you did, the slideout would never deploy, or both the slideout and the sidewall would be damaged every time the slide is extended or retracted. There is space, some wiggle room between the two. That space is the place where the greatest risk of water intrusion is.

‘What is done to mitigate the risk of water intrusion?” you ask. That is where the slideout seals come in. Sweep seals (sometimes called blade seals) are thin rubber piece that flaps out when a slideout is deployed. Bulb seals are typically the round seal that squished between the slideout and the sidewall when the slideout is retracted. These two types of seals are the primary defense against water intrusions in a recreational vehicle slideout. That is why we pay close attention to the slideout seals when conducting a Certified RV Inspection.

First, let’s talk about sweep seals. Those little rubber flaps do a lot to keep the water out. However, they can’t do their job if they are not properly deployed. The sweep seal it intended to flap out when the RV slideout is deployed. As an RV owner, you will do yourself a big favor by checking to make sure the sweep seals are all flapped out and laying against the side and top of the slideout. The sweep seal should make contact with the surface of the slideout wall and roof. That contact should be sufficient enough to prevent any water from going under or behind the sweep. That is when you know it has deployed properly. We’ll talk about caring for seals in a little while, but first, let’s talk about those other seals, the bulb seals.

Bulb seals are intended to be squished when the RV slideout is retracted. It squishes between the recreational vehicle sidewall and the slideout frame. That way any water that comes down on the RV from a rain storm will be forced to stay outside the recreational vehicle and not allowed to flow inside. We all know that water is probably the greatest enemy of recreational vehicles. When conducting Certified RV Inspections we make a point to look at anything and everything that could be a source of water instruction. These Certified Recreational Vehicle Inspections include evaluating the RV slideout seals.

So, how can we care for the RV slideout seals so they work the way they are supposed to and last a long time?

The answer is fairly straightforward. Clean them and protect them. “What are we protecting the seals from?” you may ask. The sun. The ultraviolet rays cause rubber-type materials to deteriorate faster. That is why you see (and we recommend) tire covers on recreational vehicles while they are parked. They are protecting the rubber tires from UV rays. You can both clean and protect your RV seals by using a product designed to clean and protect all in one application. We recommend Thetford Corporation 40015 Rubber Seal Treatment. You can get it on Amazon using this link https://amzn.to/3M0DT9m

We also like 3-IN-ONE-120138-C RV Care Rubber Seal Conditioner.  You can get that one here https://amzn.to/3M2tfid

You may want to take one extra step if the seals are very dirty. If you spent time at Burning Man and have survived dust storms, then you will need to take this additional step first.

First, clean the RV slideout seals with water and a rag/cloth of some sort. Just get the surface dirt off. Next, spray the slide-out treatment onto a new clean cloth and wipe the inside and outside of the sweep seals and the outside of the bulb seals. It is recommended to do this once a month to maintain healthy seals. Of course, on top of that, you should periodically inspect the seals to ensure they have not been damaged in some way. That inspection can happen at the same time as cleaning and protecting. These small recurring steps will help keep your recreational vehicle.