Shipping containers

[Sandhill Crane]

Has anyone used them?
Good experience/bad experience?
Condensation?
What should I look for?
I'd like to get a 40' high cube but doubt I can get it in my driveway to the wood lot.
Two 20's may give better access to space, as double doors, as in doors each end, pushes the price considerably. In part because they tend to be newer containers as well.
Looking for storage space and security.

 

[cornfused]

We got one to store hay in. It is virtually air tight, which poses the problem: if whatever you put in it isn't totally dry it will very soon be covered in mold. To function as good firewood/hay storage they need to be ventilated. After ventilation it works great!!!

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Gotta get super duper locks. Maybe park a pallet of stone in front of the doors at night or when away.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Unfortunately, locking stuff up is more and more necessary.

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Ya see a lot of retailers storing in containers and trailers this time of year. The smart ones put pallets of salt ECT under trailer king pins and in front of container doors.

36" bolt cutter is all the key needed otherwise. But aside from that containers are tight and make great storage. Much better than a dry van.

 

[Trapper_Pete]

plan to cut vents in

 

[sirbuildalot]

My father has a couple he uses for storage. I’d be more inclined to store the splitter, saws, gas cans, oil, chains, etc rather than wood for reasons of moisture as stated before. The biggest problem imo is the price of these shipping containers keeps going up and up around here. They are going for around $3000 shipped. I can build a similar sq. Ft. Wood building that looks much nicer with a better layout for around the same. (Notice I said I can build, not buy or have built by someone else)

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

3k is pretty cheap. They are usually closer to the 5k area here.

Still cheap all considering. If I build a shed, I'd have 2-3k just in the concrete. My 16x20 shed cost me about 10k to build.

 

[sirbuildalot]

My barn is 16' x 24' with a 9' 2" ceiling and an 11' 3" x 24' loft with a 7'2" ceiling (no sloped section of ceiling), and it cost me $6,000 to build. The floor is a concrete slab, 2x4 walls, vinyl siding, architectural shingles, custom built 8' x 12' bi-fold doors, exterior stairs to the loft, etc. So all said its about 650 sq. ft. of space. It would take 2 of those storage containers to give me the same square footage of space. Like I said, I built it myself, if I had paid someone, I'm sure it would have been 10-12 grand.
















The loft

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Nice barn!
Yes, it would be for equipment storage.
As for building something, the container offers some options.
One is that it could be set up and used in days.
Another is that I'm not sure where I want it and it could be moved, with some difficulty, at a later date.
It also bypasses building codes, inspections and property taxes, all things (and people) I'd rather not deal with...
We have several acres, and could (last I knew) do two property splits. Putting a building up might complicate the formula of road frontage and square footage required if built in the preferred spot.
Also, although I enjoy doing firewood, doing so is temporary, based on my physical condition. Which means the need for storage is temporary as well.
The truth is, I would love a pole building. However, my funds are limited, and my focus is on getting a processor to lessen the labor, and up firewood production. The other drawback is too much storage area just accumulates... stuff.
We have a wood shed, which works for some trailer storage, however mice tend to love engines, so that doesn't work very well long term for powered equipment.
I had a red flag this week with an engine leaking gas after refueling. Stuck float, fatigued gas line, I don't know. But it did not go back in the building with the wood stove. The engine is in the shop. However there are still several other things with engines that need to get moved out of there as well. Sooner rather than later.
I think a double door (doors both ends), 20'er will be good enough for now as long as it looks fairly good, not beat up and/or hard to open. Greatly simplifies delivery over a 40'er too. Hate to order one and have them drop it in the driveway 200' from where it would go, but pricing makes that larger one tempting.
Either way, a container is a momentary diversion from doing firewood, but red flags are red flags.

 

[cantoo]

Sandhill, a processor would fit nice under here.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Yeah...what's not to like?
Looks good and opens up some possibilities of pallet storage too. Hard to use when covered in snow, even if it is just a half inch.
I did not realize someone made a specific cover for bridging two containers. Visited Kroftman's web site.
Edit: Kroftman is in Europe, I think UK.
Edit 2.) Customer service seems great, however, they to not ship overseas. Someone more local must make these as well. That was also my thought on the PackFix.
Thanks Cantoo....

 

[sirbuildalot]

One time we had a customer/friend who spanned two shipping containers with a quanset hut, similar to the above pic, on a larger scale. He spanned about 30’, 40’ in length, and the top of the hut was at least 24’ off the ground. We were hired to build the two end walls, side them and get overhead garage doors installed. His guys put the quanset kit together and “attached” it to the shipping containers with concrete troughs. We had a ton of snow that year in 2010. He never raked the “roof” off, and the “building” collapsed. He refused to pull a permit and had no insurance on the building. Most of the new quanset kits are pretty thin metal with a minimal snow load. The old ones from the 1940’s and 1950’s were 2-3 times as thick. I’d be Leary doing something like that unless you have it secured really well at the two bottoms.

 

[sirbuildalot]

The ironic part, was that although he owned a tree service company, he was making big money ($75 per hr. Per guy) ($100 if in the bucket truck) shoveling off roofs as there were hundreds of roof collapses statewide that year. He had 6-8 guys working 60 hours a week for 3 or 4 weeks. Never did his own buildings though. He had a huge 40’ x 80’ quanset hut next to the one that collapsed that was fine. That one was secured to a concrete pad.

 

[bigbadbob]

I have 2 20s and are great, I keep my saws an stuff in one as it came from a construction co, and its full of wood shelving, paid 2500 delivered. Its used but in good shape.
2nd on is called new $2500, thats one trip from china, I have a small work bench in it and some shelving, keep my ATVs in there. One has a 220v sub panel in it and both have power/lites. Moisture can be an issue, the only time is was as when the atv went in with snow on it and it melted,,,yuk.
So now I make sure anything that goes in is dry.
When I got them I pressure washed all the decals off and painted them.
Had one for 10yrs other for 5

 

[cantoo]

Sandhill, they sell them here at auctions and just the hoop part goes for around $1000. They make a bunch of different sizes.
Sirbuildalot, one of the largest builders of hoop structures are is in my area. There is also smaller companies that make them. Lots of guys have the hoops on containers. They use walk behind snow blowers to remove the snow off the roof of the containers a couple of times a season. Brightspan.com

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Have a 40' container delivery Friday morning. I'll discover when he gets here if he can get it down the driveway or drop it just off the road.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

When this guy turned the corner onto our road with a heavy spec. tri axle tractor, about as long as the trailer, I figured no way! We have a curved driveway lined with Oaks and Beech. I figured he would drop it near the road and I'd be on my own for the last 300'. Really unbelievable driving to get in and out. The photo doesn't show that.
The drive loops back out to the road for the log trucks to pull straight through, but they pull a pup. More of a straight shot that way but there is quite a hump. Tried that first, but the rise combined with an all night rain made it too greasy and he got stuck. Not good... I took a breath as he got out of the cab. He put the tractor in neutral, set the trailer brakes, and slid the trailer axle forward, inch worming the tractor out of the greasy spot, alternating setting the brakes on the tractor, moving the axle, then axle brake moving the tractor. Then, after doing a walk through of the other entrance, backed out and snaked down the tree lined drive with two 45* curves, and nosed in the wood lot where the trailer is in the photo. Then a three point turn backing up into the other section of drive to turn around, and is in the photo, backing in where he is going to drop. It all went unbelievably smooth.
I kept the dog in the garage during delivery. She was a bit surprised to find this in her wood lot. I think I'm going to block it up so she can get under it, and keep critters out from under it, like skunks and woodchucks. The driver said woodchucks love them.

 

[duckman]

When this guy turned the corner onto our road with a heavy spec. tri axle tractor, about as long as the trailer, I figured no way! We have a curved driveway lined with Oaks and Beech. I figured he would drop it near the road and I'd be on my own for the last 300'. Really unbelievable driving to get in and out. The photo doesn't show that.
The drive loops back out to the road for the log trucks to pull straight through, but they pull a pup. More of a straight shot that way but there is quite a hump. Tried that first, but the rise combined with an all night rain made it too greasy and he got stuck. Not good... I took a breath as he got out of the cab. He put the tractor in neutral, set the trailer brakes, and slid the trailer axle forward, inch worming the tractor out of the greasy spot, alternating setting the brakes on the tractor, moving the axle, then axle brake moving the tractor. Then, after doing a walk through of the other entrance, backed out and snaked down the tree lined drive with two 45* curves, and nosed in the wood lot where the trailer is in the photo. Then a three point turn backing up into the other section of drive to turn around, and is in the photo, backing in where he is going to drop. It all went unbelievably smooth.
I kept the dog in the garage during delivery. She was a bit surprised to find this in her wood lot. I think I'm going to block it up so she can get under it, and keep critters out from under it, like skunks and woodchucks. The driver said woodchucks love them.View attachment 690291 View attachment 690287 View attachment 690292View attachment 690293

Just in case you don't know, to make a degree symbol like 45° hold the ALT button and press 248. Search alt to see how to make all kinds of symbols

 

[Sandhill Crane]

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