Care-A-Vanners/Habitat4Humanity

[DaveP]

Just got back from my first retirement gig working with the Care-A-Vanner group on a Habitat for Humanity project in Hobbs, New Mexico. Great group of people and a very gratifying way to spend two weeks.

Many of the H4H affiliates have custom built RV facilities including electric, water and sewer hook-ups. Hobbs has five parking spots. Hobbs also has great WiFi service and a laundry facility. The ones that don't have these facilities usually have a deal with a local RV park.

We also had a group of Americorps kids working with us. They were 17 to 24 year olds that sign-up for the summer and work on projects around the country. Great kids.

We finished the inside work on two duplexes. Great people! Really enjoyed the experience.

More to come in two weeks.

[DaveP]

Just got back from a Habitat build in Taos New Mexico. We worked on finishing one house (stuccoing and inside tile work) and put up the walls for a second. While there, we visited the bridge over the Rio Grande River (600 feet up from the water). In the background, you can see the smoke from the fires near Las Vegas NM, about 35 miles from Taos. Fortunately, the winds mostly blew from the SW so we did not get to much smoke in Taos. Left Taos two days early because of the winter storm predicted for Monument CO. Got home just in time and awoke today to 1 1/2 feet of snow! Sprinter in Colorado!

[GCinSC2]

Kudos for volunteering and working with HFH.

[DaveP]

Just returned from five days near Nederland CO rebuilding a historic cabin from the gold rush days (around the 1860s). This cabin was torn down log by log in the summer of 2021 and then rebuilt on a new rock foundation. They also replaced some of the logs. This year, we worked on chinking the logs and daubing the foundation to help seal-up the structure. We also installed the ledger boards that will support the floor joist (which will be done this coming week by a new crew). One of my contributions was adding a new set of stairs into the cabin which was challenging given the irregular shaping and plumbness (or lack thereof) of the structure. It was a very fun project, and I learned a lot about historic preservation. Great group of volunteers, too!

HistoriCorps is the group that Maggie has done so much work with which put it on my radar screen when another Habitat project was cancelled due to late deliveries from a material supplier. I will definitely do more projects with this group!

Maggie, Bob (from Devils Tower) told me to say hello to you.

Below are pictures of the cabin before work began, the group that worked on the project, daubing the foundation and me sitting on my stairs.

[DaveP]

Finished week one at Habitat Hobbs with the Care-A-Vanner group. Got most of the roof trusses in place on house one and trim work on house two almost complete. Great group of people.

One week down, three to go!

[DaveP]

Two weeks down, two to go. Hot, sunny and windy!

Completed the roof structure and sheeting of one house. Worked on interior finishing of two other homes.

The group picture is the Care-A-Vanners and Habitat people from Hobbs.

[DaveP]

On the new build we finished the framing, house wrap, roof felt, siding and most of the windows. Finished final work on another house and cleaned it up. Finished final work on a third house built last year and had a key ceremony for the new owner (very moving and deeply satisfying). The owners are required to help build their own homes with a significant number of hours. Otherwise, all of the building is done by Care-A-Vaneers and the Hobbs Habitat staff.

Three weeks down, one week to go!

[DaveP]

The new build was finished with windows, siding and gables. Ceramic tiling was started in another unit and a third unit was cleaned up and will start holding transition tenants soon. The picture is our group for the last two weeks.

Four weeks down and back home on Sunday night. Very satisfied with all the work we did. And I am exhausted... but it is a good tired!

Next stop is in Waterloo Iowa for a build in July. Only a two week build.

[TravelCEM]

Thank you Dave and to the rest of our amazing group and affiliate for helping make my first Habitat for Humanity RV Care-A-Vanner build an awesome one. I was also honored to attend a key ceremony during my time in Hobbs, which presented the homeowner and her beautiful daughter with keys to their new home. Very exciting! I’m already signed up for another build. -LeAnn

[DaveP]

Just got back from a two week build in Waterloo Iowa (my birth state!). Hot and humid the whole time! Had a good group to work with. Put up interior walls, siding, saw fit and a garage door.

850 miles out in two days and the same on the way back. I don' think I will do anymore 550-mile days, however. New truck drove flawlessly, even with all the weight of my tools.

[DaveP]

Just spent two weeks in northern Colorado at State Forest State Park (Walden CO) building a new campground at their backcountry location. Often used by hunters, this location is at approximately 9500 feet in elevation and is 16 miles in from our campsite (on gravel and asphalt roads). The trip took about 30 minutes from our campground at Ranger Lakes. A Year To Volunteer (ayeartovolunteer.com) is the organizer of the project. We had approximately 36 volunteers working on the projects. About half of the group are full-time RVers. Great group of hard-working people!! Hats off to Phil and Shar who run A Year To Volunteer!

The main project was the campground. We built 15 campsites from scratch by leveling the ground; laying out 6”x6”x16’&20’ treated lumber to form 50’x15’ RV pads and 15’x15’ attached tent pads; and then filling/leveling the RV pads with road base and the tent pads with coarse sand. We had two skid loaders, a backhoe, a tractor, and two dump trucks to move stuff. Quite a feat in two weeks. The group also built tent pads at another campground and deep cleaned/painted several cabins around the park!

In order below are pictures:
A ground shot and aerial shot of the site before we started.
A group photo.
Two bull moose near the construction site.
A shot of one complete site.
An after aerial shot of the campground.
Julie and I next to a moose sculpture (made of wielded barbed wire!). Did I mention that there are a lot of moose at this state park!!

[DaveP]

Just spent two weeks down in Hobbs NM on a Habitat build. This was my tenth week of volunteering in 2023. We worked on the interior of two home to finish them up with vanities, baseboards, light fixtures, appliances, etc. They will be turned over to the new owners soon!

Below is the group I worked with plus a few high school students getting some credit for shop class.

This will be my last volunteer project until next March 2024.

[nvestysly]

Hi Dave,

Great to see an RV Care-A-Vanner update from you. We recognize some people in that picture - the CAV group becomes a community in which participants see familiar faces from time to time as well as trade stories about travel in an RV. Not many Airstreams out there in the CAV world - mostly other brands - thanks for your volunteer efforts and for helping spread the word.

We've continued to volunteer our time at the Florida RV SuperShow to recruit new volunteers for RV CAV. If anyone is headed to the SuperShow in Tampa in January 2024 be sure to check out the CAV information booth in Building A - A215 (near the General RV "store").

[DaveP]

Hi Lucius,

Thanks for your reply. I have only seen one other AS at a CAV build. They are a rare breed in our community as you pointed out. We will have to change that!!