No fair using an electrical enclosure and calling it a "mailbox" mod. ;)
My MES has had its guts ripped out. So it's not really a true MES. But I rather like the enclosure, and for me, building such an enclosure would be a lot of work.
The enclosure that has me salivating right now is a
Pit Boss Copperhead. Yep, it's a pellet burner. But I love the adjustable shelves and the size of the unit. I think it would take more power than you can get from a normal 20 Amp 120V outlet to properly heat it, so I get why, as you move up to a smoker of this size, it's not available as an all-electric off the shelf.
But I can wire up a 220 outlet just for a smoker, and fit it with a heating element or elements big enough to get the job done and do it that way. Sure,
Pit Boss wouldn't sell many smokers that require a 220 outlet, but that won't stop someone from modifying or building a 220V unit from scratch.
So I'm with you. The enclosure of the MES is worth having, even if your MES isn't truly just an MES anymore!