A Painful Nip And Tuck Turns Into Reconstructive Surgery

The last six weeks have been hell. Butch’s ears are blocked up from stress and my continual nagging. My grandmother would've said, "A wife should not be like a dripping tap"! Torture. At times, I might have a heart attack from stress and anxiety as my oesophageal stricture goes on a rampage at the most inopportune times. Try soothing a boa constrictor in your throat. Impossible.

It's been crunch time; we’ve had to make some serious choices, and in our ignorance of such matters, we had to learn fast. Butch didn’t let a moment pass before he began thinking about and implementing the necessary changes to the weight of our Honey Badger. We removed every last unnecessary appendage. The scrap metal is piling up.

We considered replacing the box with a lighter material, such as fibreglass or aluminium, to make the project more tangible and engaging.

Long story short, he revisited his idea and soon found a possible box in Kalk Bay Harbour. Fishy. Although I know his intentions are always 100% honourable, this fishy story didn't sit right. Eventually, they both gave up, and the owner palmed it off onto someone else. Thank goodness we didn’t bite. A friend familiar with the industry warned us. Don't use wood or plywood for second-hand refrigeration equipment, as it often gets damaged when goods are loaded and unloaded; wood rots when it gets wet. Water damage is a real possibility with refrigerated cartage. He said sagely, "Stick a pin into its bulging side and water squirts out like a waterbomb".

I breathed a sigh of relief. Until he spotted another steal deal. This one was in a scrap yard, or, to put it more succinctly, a truck graveyard. The truck had been in an accident, and the box had severe structural damage; fortunately, we could also spot wood rot and rust. So that was scrapped. Thanks, Lollie (a manufacturer of custom-made fibre glass products in Robertson), for meeting us there; we took your wise words and suggestions to heart.

But this did have positive repercussions. Butch started investigating the lawful tonnage, height, length and size permitted on our vehicle. After much to-and-fro with a senior person in the Department of Transport, he got the legal allowances. It’s amazing how even the manufacturer has it wrong.

After our discussions with various people, including an engineer in Durban, Martin Pet, Butch connected with a young builder who constructs a range of small trailers (e.g., food trailers, refrigeration trailers, or other domestic and commercial trailers) and is highly capable and qualified to custom-build our new box. 

After a visit to his factory in Stikland, where we saw the quality of his work firsthand, we discussed the materials he uses, and he suggested a few options that would make our lives much easier. He even has a solution to our awning concerns.

Steven's patience and understanding made me feel supported and encouraged me to seek help and to collaborate on our own projects.

We’d hardly parked the car under the tree at home when we received a quotation. We accepted, and within a week our new bodywork will be in the works.

Today we returned to our Honey Badger with Laurika, a Draftswoman, in tow; she is going to prepare a proper plan, including the electrics and gas installations. She has promised we’ll have a much better layout the second time around. Once again, I’ve learned that every trial ultimately has a positive outcome if one’s patient and diligent. We’re sure there will be many improvements. Can’t wait to show you.

It was indeed sad to see our forlorn Honey Badger parked in the yard, looking terribly neglected and unloved. We’ll remove the box now, and hopefully we’ll be able to sell it to someone who can make good use of it. If not, it’s doomed to the second-hand scrap metal dealer, with all the other scrap metal piling up. I’ll use one of our powerful magnets to pick up every last shaving of steel lying around.

Butterflies are starting to flutter their little excited wings in my tummy again. The python is curling up, hopefully not lying in wait for another attack; my oesophagus can’t take any more stress. We are both exhausted, but nothing will stop us now.

My sweet, organised sister-in-law won’t take no for an answer; she’s booked a campsite for a few months’ time. We’re so excited. Things are looking up. Now I must get to work; I’m going to see my grandbabies, I have shopping to do, and other fish to fry.

"Insulated Trailer Worx is a young, dynamic manufacturing business at the forefront of trailer-building technology, and we pride ourselves on the quality of our workmanship. We build a wide variety of trailers, focusing particularly on the volumetric Commercial Cooler & Freezer and Food & Catering sectors, as well as the Entertainment sector.

We have been in the insulated trailer business for four years. While we have served many satisfied customers, each new job is special to us. We would love to hear how we can help you.

Our manufacturing facilities are situated in Stellenbosch, Cape Town. NOT JUST GIVING OUR CUSTOMER A TRAILER, BUT HELPING THEM CREATE THEIR DREAMS!