kmboren
Recovering XJ owner anonymous
- Location
- Southern Utah
So Tim Nelson and ID bronco and Nic have done this before but this was my first time. We decided to take the entire family. Last year my wife and daughter went while I stayed home with the boys.
We were put on a house for a family that had a Mother, Father and 3 kids and a grandmother all living in a tiny 2 bed 1 bath little kitchen house. They had a back yard where they are responsible for for pouring a cement pad. It ended up being about a 20x16 foot space that we were building. The family had some rough plans for a 2 bedroom 1 bath living area with a small entry way. We left on the 26th and started building on the 27.
We used my flatbed as a main source of transport of all lumber and supplies. Most use trailers but our road was so small and the short uphill drive way would have made a trailer very difficult to use. The truck and flatbed was the perfect fit.
Day 1 we got a late start waiting on lumber and such to be delivered to the "lumber yard" a large space behind someone's house. We loaded the truck and got to the job site and got started. Each job site has 1 or 2 team leads that know what they are doing. (NOT ME) They directed and we got busy and stood all 4 walls on day one. Our job site had 3 family's and 2 other individuals. With a total of 18 people. During this time people are building, painting, cutting, measuring ect.
Day 2 we got to work on interior walls and trusses. We built the trusses by hand. 19 or 20 total. Got the trusses up and interior walls and a few pieces of osb on the roof.
Day 3 was Sunday and our day off. It was also my birthday. My brother In law wanted to go fishing and that sounded fun. So him his son and I went to the docs and found a captain to take us out. They told us the seas were rough but they would still take us. Our families enjoyed a zoo adventure while we fished. The seas were rough. My Brother in law got seas sick. You couldn't stand easily without leaning against the edge of the rails or holding on to them. Needless to say we got skunked. No fish for us. I think if we stayed longer I might have tossed my breakfast also but fortunately was able to keep it in.
Day 4 we got back on the house. Painted exterior side panels and a roofing crew was put to work. Gable ends added and OSB finished and then roofing shingle crew got to work and finished the roof completely.
Day 5 was windows, drywall and edging all the windows and seams. We were hoping to have all the drywall finished but we didn't and wanted to finish as much as we could and get the doors up.
Day 6 we finished what we could of drywall and mudding and then the doors. The family were members of The Church so we ended the day with a blessing or dedication of the home. The entire time it was humbling to help this family. It was a spiritual and special experience. Not many dry eyes in the crowd. We finished the day going to another job site and helping them wrap up as much drywall as we could. Before we ran out of light.
Take aways:
We live like kings here. Our family had no running water. Flushed the toilet with a bucket of water. It went into a pit in the property that was covered with a bunch of wood and stuff.
My truck with both tanks full is over 45 gallons. It got me from Ensenada to Home with about 7 gallons of diesel left. Pretty happy about that.
Street tacos in Mexico are the bomb. I ate so many adobaba and asada tacos. We would break for lunch as a crew and go to a local spot and eat. We ate a 4 different stands.
Mexico is dirty. There is trash everywhere. Gave me a appreciation for a local trash service we have. Litter is everywhere there.
I wish I knew more Spanish then I know. I know very little.
It was a very spiritual and special experience to help our family. They were kind and generous very appreciative. On the last day they made us a Tres leches cake that everyone enjoyed. It truly was a touching experience.
I hope to do it again. It is a sarafice on the families going. It is $500 a person. This buys the wood and materials for the build. You still have to pay for your hotel, food fuel, travels expenses ect.
We were put on a house for a family that had a Mother, Father and 3 kids and a grandmother all living in a tiny 2 bed 1 bath little kitchen house. They had a back yard where they are responsible for for pouring a cement pad. It ended up being about a 20x16 foot space that we were building. The family had some rough plans for a 2 bedroom 1 bath living area with a small entry way. We left on the 26th and started building on the 27.
We used my flatbed as a main source of transport of all lumber and supplies. Most use trailers but our road was so small and the short uphill drive way would have made a trailer very difficult to use. The truck and flatbed was the perfect fit.
Day 1 we got a late start waiting on lumber and such to be delivered to the "lumber yard" a large space behind someone's house. We loaded the truck and got to the job site and got started. Each job site has 1 or 2 team leads that know what they are doing. (NOT ME) They directed and we got busy and stood all 4 walls on day one. Our job site had 3 family's and 2 other individuals. With a total of 18 people. During this time people are building, painting, cutting, measuring ect.
Day 2 we got to work on interior walls and trusses. We built the trusses by hand. 19 or 20 total. Got the trusses up and interior walls and a few pieces of osb on the roof.
Day 3 was Sunday and our day off. It was also my birthday. My brother In law wanted to go fishing and that sounded fun. So him his son and I went to the docs and found a captain to take us out. They told us the seas were rough but they would still take us. Our families enjoyed a zoo adventure while we fished. The seas were rough. My Brother in law got seas sick. You couldn't stand easily without leaning against the edge of the rails or holding on to them. Needless to say we got skunked. No fish for us. I think if we stayed longer I might have tossed my breakfast also but fortunately was able to keep it in.
Day 4 we got back on the house. Painted exterior side panels and a roofing crew was put to work. Gable ends added and OSB finished and then roofing shingle crew got to work and finished the roof completely.
Day 5 was windows, drywall and edging all the windows and seams. We were hoping to have all the drywall finished but we didn't and wanted to finish as much as we could and get the doors up.
Day 6 we finished what we could of drywall and mudding and then the doors. The family were members of The Church so we ended the day with a blessing or dedication of the home. The entire time it was humbling to help this family. It was a spiritual and special experience. Not many dry eyes in the crowd. We finished the day going to another job site and helping them wrap up as much drywall as we could. Before we ran out of light.
Take aways:
We live like kings here. Our family had no running water. Flushed the toilet with a bucket of water. It went into a pit in the property that was covered with a bunch of wood and stuff.
My truck with both tanks full is over 45 gallons. It got me from Ensenada to Home with about 7 gallons of diesel left. Pretty happy about that.
Street tacos in Mexico are the bomb. I ate so many adobaba and asada tacos. We would break for lunch as a crew and go to a local spot and eat. We ate a 4 different stands.
Mexico is dirty. There is trash everywhere. Gave me a appreciation for a local trash service we have. Litter is everywhere there.
I wish I knew more Spanish then I know. I know very little.
It was a very spiritual and special experience to help our family. They were kind and generous very appreciative. On the last day they made us a Tres leches cake that everyone enjoyed. It truly was a touching experience.
I hope to do it again. It is a sarafice on the families going. It is $500 a person. This buys the wood and materials for the build. You still have to pay for your hotel, food fuel, travels expenses ect.
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