Don Bies: "I had that crate built when we created that particular R2, the only one made at ILM. We began the tradition of writing all the places it visited when we made it.
One of the more humorous entries was made by a customs official when it went through their border (I Think it might have been Australia).
The crate fell apart a few years later, but the door was kept in the archives. When the crate was retired, the door was filled with entries.
The one made for Ep1, called the Uber R2. It has the steerable front wheel.
It was built June-July, 1997 (twenty years ago...)."