With three degrees in criminal justice and criminology, Dave had served as a police sergeant with patrol duties, a patrol supervisor, and a division commander managing the training division and the crime prevention unit for his department. As the Oregon State Director for the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, he had taught law enforcement seminars at various locations across the United States. For years, his greatest satisfaction came in training other policemen.

Sandy, with a bachelor's degree in criminology, worked as a jail matron and a 911 dispatch center telecommunicator before becoming a supervisor. Later, she stepped into the role of human resources manager for several large corporations in Medford. However, after attending the 1999 Life on Wheels RV Conference in Moscow, Idaho, and reading every book in existence on RVing, Dave and Sandy felt ready for full-timing. Despite their ages being well below traditional retirement, Dave gave up his job in early 2000, but took a special yearlong administrative faculty position for the Southern Oregon University Criminology Department. In the meantime, they sold their home, their furniture, many personal belongings, and donated closets full of clothing to charity groups. Rather than return home each Sunday evening for a new workweek, they packed their RV and created second careers on the road.

About the same time, Gaylord Maxwell contacted the Balerias to teach a series of seminars on personal safety for all the Life on Wheels RV Conferences. “Life on Wheels is our first love and a top priority now,” Dave says. “Gaylord liked my balanced and neutral approach to guns and RVs, knowing I do carry, but that folks need a healthy dose of the laws, court decisions, and the reality of actually using deadly physical force, as well as the hardware limitations.

“However, we believe in the quality seminars on college campuses that Gaylord started and continues in the Life on Wheels conferences. We like his emphasis on teaching folks about the RVing lifestyle in real classrooms, bringing together national experts to cover all aspects of RVing.”

That same year, they joined Bob Livingston’s teaching staff for the annual Great North American RV Rallies. Dave developed his Personal Defense: Pepper Spray Training Certification course.

“With Personal Safety for RVers as the short title, our three-part series became and remains the foundation of our personal safety classes,” Dave explains. “We aim at teaching other RVers practical tips for personal safety, including how to avoid being targeted for criminal attack, state laws and interpretations relating to concealed handguns that an RVer might carry in his rig or on his person, and personal defense concerning the practical aspects of using aerosol sprays in realistic situations.” Being a trainer for years, teaching is in Dave’s blood. Developing classes is a natural fit for their careers on the road. Sandy and Dave both work hard at their jobs and take great pride in teaching RVers.
When nationally known columnist and instructor, Bill Farlow, became ill, Dave prepared a course titled Boondocking: Use Those Holding Tanks! to fill an important topic area that Bill had taught at Life On Wheels. “That particular seminar is dedicated to Bill,” Dave says. “We get huge attendances at the class, again approaching the subject matter from a comprehensive systems tactic. We also address the ‘blacktop boondocking’ issues.”

Additionally, Dave and Sandy teach other RVing lifestyle seminars for Life on Wheels, including RV Park and Campground Discounts and Memberships. They explain virtually all the membership systems, maintaining memberships themselves in several groups. The Balerias are also Lifetime Members in Escapees and the Good Sam Club. Dave created a spreadsheet outlining the criteria for each membership organization. They also developed a booklet, sold through the Life On Wheels bookstore, featuring a 60-page spreadsheet of the more common membership and discount system parks, listed by state and city. Dave maintains the booklet year-round.

Sandy also developed her RVing with Your Pet course to present at the shorter Life On Wheels conferences in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Iowa, and upcoming in Arizona. She addresses both dogs and cats and their medical and lifestyle issues while traveling. Dave developed additional classes titled Staying Found and Traveling Efficiently. He teaches about mapping software and GPS, showing his attendees how to import RVing-specific files on campgrounds, membership systems, dump stations, and boondocking sites.

“This class costs me every year because I buy, rather than accept a company’s freebies, the latest versions of the software that we recommend so I will always be objective,” Dave says

At the Life On Wheels conferences in Kentucky and Iowa in 2005, the Balerias are adding RVing the Heartland of America and Enjoying Your Heritage First. The new classes relate to RVing in the The Sacred Corridor across the Great Plains states of America, one of the Balerias favorite areas.

After a trial evaluation by the safety education team for Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) at the Six-State Rally in Texas in October 2003, Dave and Sandy were contracted as instructors. Since 2004, they have taught their courses for the two annual International FMCA Conventions.

Dave and Sandy practice what they teach about the full-time lifestyle. “Our company, Personal Safety First, Inc., needs no RV,” Dave says. “But in our eyes, since we focus on RVers in our safety series and the other five Life On Wheels RV Lifestyle seminars are all on and about RVing, it's a must for credibility. We're true full-timers. We own no land, no lot, no house, and no apartment. And our RV moves!”

For 99 percent of their driving time, Sandy takes the wheel of their Ford F-450 that tows a 28-foot Excel fifth-wheel. Dave navigates with a laptop running mapping software and GPS. He also serves as Sandy’s flight attendant, keeping her coffee cup full.

“I know we wouldn't be traveling as many miles a year, nor would we have seen so much of the United States, if we were not speaking for Life on Wheels, in particular,” he goes on. They log approximately 25,000 miles each year. “We want to see the entire United States, and have already stayed in 48 states, in between our teaching commitments.

“When taken seriously, teaching is very hard work,” Dave says, stating that they purchased their own LCD projector for their PowerPoint presentations. “Sandy and I prepare with the intent that every word we say and every recommendation we make is current. Our classes require ongoing research. Yet, the bottom line reason for our teaching is the purpose it gives our lives.”

By sharing their program, Dave and Sandy believe they are saving lives and preventing injuries and losses on the RV roads. “Our personal safety information applies all the time as RVers go into cities to see museums, stores, and movies where they are more likely to be potential crime victims. We also encourage RVers to take these principles back to their children and grandchildren.”