In the mid-1980s the Hills had the opportunity to work with their church group on a building project for Habitat for Humanity, an international non-profit organization that helps construct homes for those who may not otherwise be able to afford a home. After that first fateful building project, Dennis and Nancy were hooked.

“I liked the [Habitat for Humanity] philosophy,” Dennis Hill said. “The motto [of the organization] is: ‘It’s a hand up, not a handout.’” Each person or family accepted as a candidate for a Habitat for Humanity house is required to log 300 to 400 hours of ‘sweat equity’ in order to qualify for their house.

“That means they put time in working on their own house or someone else’s,” he added.

When the Hills retired in 2001 they wanted to take their Holiday Rambler and do some traveling. They also wanted to continue their work with Habitat for Humanity. They joined a non-brand-specific group for RVing Habitat volunteers called the RV Care-A-Vanners. Then a few years later, a number of Habitat-minded HRRVC members, including the Hills, formed the Ramblin’ Builders. Dennis currently serves as president of the group.

Since its inception in 2003, Ramblin’ Builders has grown considerably. As a result, the group keeps a roster of who’s participating in each build, so as not to overcrowd a build site. Only ten coaches are allowed at each project site. “You call and say you’d like to participate in this build and if there’s room your name goes on the roster and if not, your name goes on the waiting list,” Hill said.

Most members of the group, like Dennis and Nancy, take part in three to six builds each year. Each project takes approximately two weeks to complete so many of the group’s volunteers spend about a month and a half to a quarter of the year volunteering.

“You get much more out of it than you ever put into it from the people you work with and the people you meet,” he explained. “From both homeowners and volunteers.”

Dennis had had some practical building experience before the couple started volunteering for Habitat. “My background was as an industrial education teacher. Nancy taught English and Journalism,” he said. “We built our home in 1973. It was quite a learning experience.” They’re still in that same home. “We’re here part-time at our home [in Washington, Michigan] and part-time in our motorhome.”

And if you’re saying to yourself, “I’d like to volunteer, but I don’t even know which end of a hammer to pound with,” Dennis said not to worry about it. No experience is required. “My wife Nancy had had little experience with construction,” he said, “but she’s gained quite a few skills on the Habitat sites. Painting, applying vinyl siding, etcetera.” And she’s not the only one. Dennis mentioned one gentleman, an 80-year-old volunteer from Florida who started off by saying, “‘I don’t know how to do anything but hang a picture.’”

“By the end of that build,” Hill said, “That gentleman had painted, laid vinyl siding, framed, all sorts of things.”

As RVers, Nancy and Dennis really enjoy the chance to hop in their 2003 Endeavor and go back to homes they’ve worked on and visit the families who own them. Dennis mentioned one Habitat homeowner from Fort Smith, Arkansas who had used items from Habitat’s discount store to decorate her home and had done so with such flare that her home was featured in a local Ft. Smith magazine.

The Ramblin’ Builders have a goal. They want to do more than just help out on sites; they want to completely fund a Habitat house. They have almost earned enough money to cover the building costs of $60,000.

“We are excited to get the house constructed,” Hill said. “We’ve worked hard to make this possible and at last we’re almost there.”

The group has elected Indiana’s Elkhart County for the construction of the Habitat home. The area was selected because of its proximity to the source of Holiday Rambler’s roots and Monaco Coach Corporation’s midwestern home base. The group’s goal is to start construction on the “Ramblin’ Builders and Monaco Coach home” in July 2008, about the same time as the Holiday Rambler International rally in Indiana.

“Monaco has been a huge contributor, along with a number of organizations and individuals,” Hill said. “We’ve held many raffles at rallies and Monaco Coach Corporation has run matching contributions. They’ve just been very generous.”

Holiday Rambler Recreational Vehicle Club (HRRVC) has a membership of 7,900 active participants and offers Holiday Rambler owners the opportunity for RV travel related discounts, theft protection and the opportunity to travel with fellow HR owners. Chapter 444 is not the only charitable effort that HRRVC and Monaco Coach Corporation are involved with.

“Monaco Coach Corporation supports all three major charitable efforts Holiday Rambler Recreational Vehicle Club endeavors to help including Habitat for Humanity, Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Scholarship fund,” said Ed Kinney, Vice President of Marketing for Monaco Coach Corporation.

According to Kinney, the goals of Ramblin’ Builders and RVers in general match up pretty closely: “To have fellowship with those of common interests and pursuits. To be better able to have a positive impact on the communities that they live in or travel through. To create a community whether your roots are planted or footloose and fancy free.”