We received an email and photos from our most distant Explorer Box ‘build’ customer; Jay from Okehampton, United Kingdom. Although we had the longest distance purchase of our build manual from Afghanistan; this is our first international build. Thanks Jay!
Jay wrote that although he was a great student in ‘woodshop class’ – he hadn’t used his skills in seventeen years and when he found our site and our plans; he decided to make he and his wife Liz an Explorer Box.
The build took three weeks not counting going to a fabricator with a 4’ x 3.5’ trailer and customizing it for the Explorer Box. He began to build in his back garden under an inexpensive canopy for a ‘shop’ – but good weather and determination paid off. Although after it was almost completed he wrote us this: “The box is 85% finished now and chassis is ready to go… Bugger the box is bigger than the garden gate!! So I had to get the boys from work around to help lift it up! That was comical to say the least and what made it worse? The fact that the Barn Red paint was still sticky… woops.”
He is happy with his Explorer Box and wrote; “So all in all it was a well worth project and I enjoyed every hour I spent out in the garden. The Explorer Box and tent unit makes it possible to just flit away on a Friday night after work for a quiet night or weekend away. When you’re on a campsite people look then look again and some just wander up and ask if they can have a look or take a photo. One bloke just walked up and looked in the tent only to be greeted by Liz still in bed and an augury collie dog.” (This is what we hear from all our customers.)
Here are pictures of Jay’s Explorer Box. We appreciate his comments and sharing his story and his photos with us. He also said: “I loved building it and the fact it was all done in a back garden under canvas by me – some one who has been a butcher, baker (I made a candle stick when I was young), Fish monger, Royal marine and now a truck driver but never a carpenter I’m chuffed to bits and every one who has looked at it loves it.”
[slideshow]
We’ve always told people hesitant about building an Explorer Box that all it takes is time and some woodworking skill that most already have.
Thanks again Jay and keep sending us the photos! See you on Facebook!