Fulltime RVer Diana Tolerico
I came to know Diana near the beginning of my and John’s fulltime RV journey in 2009. We’ve kept up with one another by reading each other’s blogs. You might enjoy reading this updated interview with her.
Levonne: Are you a full-time RVer? How long have you been on the road?
Diana: I’ve been a full-time RVer for almost 14 years. Before that I traveled part-time for 3 ½ years. I was a self-employed CPA, primarily doing taxes, so I was able to travel a lot when it wasn’t “tax season.”
L: Is there a place that you call home?
D: No. I consider myself to be a kind of “at large” resident of the U.S. If only they had that category…. I picked South Dakota as my state of legal residence, but I have never really lived there.
L: Why South Dakota?
D: South Dakota seems to understand RVers, has no state income tax, and only 3% sales tax on new vehicles.
L: What kind of rig do you have?
D: It’s pretty basic – I have an Arctic Fox 23-foot travel trailer that I pull with a a GMC Sierra truck. I like my setup because I can go anywhere in it and it’s easy to maintain.
L: Why are you full-time Rving?
D: It’s an inexpensive and fun way to see all the beautiful things across the country.
L: Do you have plans to travel outside of the US?
D: I have RVed in Canada, but not too much. There is so much to see here in the U.S. I went on a fantastic cruise in June 2011 to French Polynesia and the Cook Islands but not RVing.
L: What do your family and friends think about your choice to do this?
D: Some are jealous and some think I’m crazy!
L: How long do you intend to be on the road?
D: Until I get bored with it, which won’t be anytime soon. I don’t have a set time table.
L: I think I read that you mostly boon dock. What is boon docking and how do you find these places? What percentage of your time is boon docking?
D: Boon docking is parking without hookups, a lot of the time on public land. I rarely have hookups, even if I’m in a public campground. In the East, where there is little public land, I spend a lot of my time at Elk’s or Moose lodges, where I am a member. Sometimes there are hookups and sometimes not. I have solar panels and don’t really need hookups unless it’s really hot and I want to run the a/c.
L: Do you travel alone mostly?
D: I often travel with others, each in our own rig. I meet up with the Wandering Individuals Network (WIN). It’s a group of mostly single RVers. It’s different from other single RVer groups in that we are younger and more active. Most of the gatherings are in the West, and there is something going on almost all the time, if you choose to join in. www.rvsingles.org
L: What is a typical non-travel day like for you? How about a typical travel day?
D: A typical non-travel day is a lot like it would be if I were in a house, except that there may be some sightseeing and exploring. A travel day would also involve some driving (not too far) and finding a new place to stay.
L: How do you financially support yourself on the road?
D: I’m living off savings and proceeds from the sale of my house. I also get Social Security.
L: What prepared you for being a fulltimer?
D: I joined WIN when I was just part-time, and got to meet a lot of full-timers. I learned a lot from them.
L: Where do you plan to go and what fun things do you plan to do over the next 3-6 months?
D: I will be traveling East to see relatives, and then joining up with the WINs on their tour of Wyoming and Montana.
L: What do you do for medical coverage?
D: I have an individual BC/BS policy that costs a lot!
L: What is the biggest lesson you have learned as a female fulltime RVer?
D: That there are friends everywhere!
L: Is there anything else you would like people to know about you and your RV lifestyle?
D: It’s a fairly inexpensive way to travel and live. I keep track of my expenses and share them through a link on my blog – www.lifeontheopenroad.blogspot.com
L: How can people get in touch with you?
D: Email me at dianatolerico@yahoo.com – I love to answer questions!
Author Levonne Gaddy’s book “This Restless Life: A dream chased through California parks in an RV” chronicles her relocation adventures from the Southwest to Central Coast California during the Great Recession of 2008-2009. They encounter many twists and turns including a dead body found near their camp hosting camp site, problems finding work and multiple threats of floods. @Levonnegaddy
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