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anyone else own shipping containers?

ponytl | Posted in Construction Techniques on February 1, 2009 06:47am

Petes post about storage space  made me think about it…

I have 2.. a blue one and a red one 🙂    both next to my loft project… both full of shelves… the blue one is the “electrical trailer”  and the red one is “plumbing”   they are 40ft X 8ft… ea…  and both will need to go soon as i near the end of my loft project…

 have a few ideas

i have a small commercial office building with a fenced huge lot… thought about place’n em there and maybe renting them to someone like a lawn service… or small electrical or plumbing contractor… and include a mailbox and offical address… maybe even a small office in the building (only 4 offices conf. room kitchen and one bathroom)

if it worked out i could get 8-10 containers on the lot with 10-12 ft between em for truck or trailer parking…

just think’n

p

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Replies

  1. brownbagg | Feb 01, 2009 06:53am | #1

    its a big thing here to bury them and use as hurricane shelters

    1. ponytl | Feb 01, 2009 06:58am | #2

      when they bury here... they add grow lights and it becomes an "ag project"

      p:)

    2. User avater
      rjw | Feb 03, 2009 05:13am | #14

      >>its a big thing here to bury them and use as hurricane sheltersAh, aren't flooding and tidal surges a big hurricane risk?See, where I'm going here? <G>

      "Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

      Howard Thurman

      1. brownbagg | Feb 03, 2009 05:48am | #15

        Ah, aren't flooding and tidal surges a big hurricane risk?only the first half mile from the coast. most time its just the first couple hundred feet

  2. lettusbee | Feb 01, 2009 07:16am | #3

    I used to rent a small office (6x12) for 150/mo.  It was just a base for my fax, computer, and some files.  

    When I bought my tool trailer, I was no longer able to park downtown within a mile of my office, so I let it go.  I miss it, but I need a place where I can pull up in my truck and trailer combo, leave it there for a while if need be, and check faxes, email, and maybe meet a client or subcontractor when necessary. 

    Having a shipping container to use at the same location would be phenomenal.  My house looks awful because of the saw horses, ladders, scaffolding, lumber, roll around trash cans, joboxes etc.  What you describe sounds perfect.  Now if you were just closer.  It would have to be priced right though.

  3. Hazlett | Feb 01, 2009 03:19pm | #4

    those 2 shipping containers are even more usefull than you think.
    not far from me is a company that rents tents, makes awnings etc.( in fact they made the awnings for my house.)

    they have a nice sized building---- but they also store stuff outside in old semi-trailers and shipping containers---- in at least one spot on the lot they have 2 parked// about 15 feet apart---- ran 2x's between the tops of them,put down plywood and rolled roofing and have greatly expanded dry outside storage.
    stephen

    1. ponytl | Feb 02, 2009 12:55am | #8

      there is a guy not far from here that has about 8 of em side by side & stacked 2 high... so 16 total....the top one is back about 8ft so that he has a "walkway" which also means he has 8ft of covered space at the backside from the overhang...

      I don't know what they go for now... but i had a phone number of some company in NYC... I'd call regular and ask if they had  a container in Memphis that was ready to be sold... when they did i got em for $750ea.. and I think $140 to deliver.... thats still $3sf...

      you can buy RV heat cool units for about $400... thought if i ever wanted to thats what i'd do... cut a hole & build a curb....

      alot of guys around here buy them  for "deer camps" not sure if they just keep their stuff in em.. or outfit em for sleeping...

      like a kid... lots of stuff you can do with a BOX :)

      p

      1. Hazlett | Feb 02, 2009 03:10pm | #9

        Pony-- I didn't get a chance to read the article-- but in yesterdays New York Times there was an article about a guy who apparently built an apartment building project out of them.
        Perhaps you need to start acquiring MORE of them?
        stephen

        1. jet | Feb 02, 2009 05:02pm | #10

          http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/shipping-container-houses.php

        2. jet | Feb 02, 2009 05:25pm | #11

          View Image

        3. ponytl | Feb 03, 2009 02:46am | #12

          somewhere "down under"  a guy found some that were stainless steel... and built a house on the side of a hill.... that was pretty cool...

          i just have 2...  that are about to need to be moved... 

          I do know a guy with a junkyard... that cut em and used them for the fence around his whole yard... i don't know if he used the floor... i assume it's steel under the wood...  if the floor could be used... you'd get 168ft of 8ft steel fence... out of one container...

          also saw online where a guy cut em up and used em for a lake seawall...

          p

          1. billzbz | Feb 03, 2009 06:04pm | #20

            I have spent the night in one...  I was in Armenia several years back, it got late, and we could only find one 'hotel'.  Checked in, small room, small toilet, but clean, so it was fine.  Next morning I take a look and realize the 'room' is a short shipping container.  We were in an active earthquake area, so the shipping container was safe, unlike everthing else the communists built using crumbling concrete.  We used to stop and eat in a restaurant made out of a big oil drum, again, big earthquake zone, and it was a BIG oil drum.  You see amazing things in the former USSR.  Saw a lot of air-to-ground missiles gutted and converted to solar water heaters on roof in Turkmenistan - kind of hard to miss when you see them up on a roof.

            Bill

          2. MartinHolladay | Feb 06, 2009 03:42am | #37

            Bill,

            Where in Armenia was that container hotel?  I did earthquake relief work in Armenia in the early 1990s -- we were building housing in Stepanavan, in a project sponsored by the Armenian Church.  The Americans lived in shipping containers.  I lived in one for 12 months.  Not too bad once you fix them up.

  4. oldfred | Feb 01, 2009 05:10pm | #5

    http://www.pods.com/?eadid=campaign::vantage|ownership::corporate|phone::8776137637|kid::GOG0034023573

  5. thumper | Feb 01, 2009 06:10pm | #6

    farmtech.com has a system with tube framing and fabric top the gives a round topped space between two containers....Quonset hut type thing...



    Edited 2/1/2009 10:11 am ET by thumper

  6. Scrapr | Feb 01, 2009 08:31pm | #7

    We have one that is converted as an office. 20'  couple windows and a door.

    We use it to start our crew in the am. And secure keys at night.

    With your skills you could add the windows/door easy. Ours has a heater/AC on the end of the unit and a light inside. We don't have electric hooked up so we don't use that

    Company wants about 20k to buy it

     

    I'm renting

    If zoning allowed you could put 2 side  by side. One office and one storage.

     

     

  7. cic317 | Feb 03, 2009 04:28am | #13

    Bought a 8'x40'to store all my equipment, works great, my buddy also bought a 8'x40' placed it next to mine w/ a 12' space in between, we framed a flat roof over & doubled our storage. These are great & if you have to it can be picked up w/ a flat bed & moved. I've even seen these turned into small office spaces. depending on steel pricing & condition you can get them from $500- 1800 used.

  8. BilljustBill | Feb 03, 2009 08:25am | #16

    Back in the 1950's, I grew up about a mile from a barn built from two railroad boxcars spaced about 20' ft apart.  Used as outside walls, completely waterproof and great for storage, a truss roof was added on top of them.  Parked farm tractors, cotton strippers, a place to work was made from the space between them.

    That barn still stands, today.  You could do the same thing...

    Bill

  9. User avater
    CapnMac | Feb 03, 2009 08:46am | #17

    One thing, don't over look the original 20 footers by looking only at Larges and Jumbos.  The twenties are a unit of measure in the container trade, to the point that cans are measured in TEU (Twenty foot Equivalent Units).

    The 40s, and the 48s especially can be very long.  You are "buying" a great deall of "hallway" to use one.  And, daylight really only reaches about 15-20' at best.  So, a twenty can be a lot handier to use.  You can also skid one around on a two-axle trailer if needs must, too (40' can, not so much).

     

    Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
  10. Catskinner | Feb 03, 2009 03:43pm | #18

    Anybody know of a good source of supply for 20 foot containers?

    1. lettusbee | Feb 03, 2009 05:51pm | #19

      Don't know where you are, but Frontrangecontainers.com is a good source if you're in Colorado.

      1. Catskinner | Feb 04, 2009 02:59am | #23

        Thanks.I just hit their website, it says their inventory is low. I guess someone else thought it was a good idea, too. <G>

        1. ponytl | Feb 04, 2009 03:32am | #24

          depends alot where you are....  believe it or not... Memphis is a huge port...  they are stacked so high some places here they block the sun....  when steel was way up they were cutting up 10 to fill one and ship back to china for the scrap...

          i got 2  maybe 3 years ago... paid $750 ea  for 40's... there are alot of "brokers" but if you look... you can buy direct from the owners..

          p 

          1. User avater
            Gunner | Feb 04, 2009 03:45am | #25

                Man I have Box Envy. I've always wanted one. I just don't think it would be all that attractive in my backyard. Well to me it would. But not so with the wife.

                We have a few at the shop. Use them for different things. Handy as a pocket on a shirt.

             

             

               I'm bringing sexy back.

             

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yIqwyR1ays

        2. cic317 | Feb 04, 2009 04:12am | #26

          found mine on craigslist

    2. peteshlagor | Feb 04, 2009 12:43am | #21

      It's been a coupla of years, but back in the money running business, there was this company, PLM International, that did used equipment leasing.  And there selling them after the leases were up.  You've probably seen some tractor trailers on the highway with the PLM name on them.  Same outfit - at least under the same parent.

      They would lease thousands of these things.

      1. Catskinner | Feb 04, 2009 02:58am | #22

        Thanks.I'll see if I can find them.

  11. GregT | Feb 04, 2009 04:53am | #27

    Here are some shots of ours.  A couple of long ones hold up a roof for storage.  We also have a couple of 20 footers set up as jobsite trailers with a small office and storage.  The photo called "legs" is hard to see with the snow bank but shows the contraption we built that allows us to move them on our flatbed trailer instead of hiring a crane or forklift and truck.  They are tubes attached to bulldog trailer jacks that slide into a tube welded to the underside of the container.  Crank them down to set the container on a trailer and then back up when on the next site.  They are removed for transport.

    GregT

    1. brownbagg | Feb 04, 2009 05:02am | #28

      you can buy them here in the paper 40' $2250 delivered

      1. User avater
        xxPaulCPxx | Feb 04, 2009 05:43am | #29

        While we are talking about containers, here's a novel way of moving them:

        http://www.containerhandlingsolutions.com/chs.html

        This is my Dad's company, he's getting the US operations started.

        Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!

        Look, just send me to my drawer.  This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.

        1. ponytl | Feb 04, 2009 06:48am | #30

          they are pretty set up to move them around here.... the guy that delivers mine... has a long low roll back trailer... 

          but  i've seen  a guy who built a pair of house trailer axles in a cradel that  have rollers  and once one end of the container is lifted they  slide under it  ... he then has a a deal that attaches on one end (either) using the standard lifting points... that is a standard hitch...   he drags the container across the axles with the wheels chocked until he has the balance he wants...  and then locks the axles into place (not sure how) and tows it with a F350...   I stopped and watched him... the  hitch locks to the axles  (might even stay attached and just extend out) and he tows them to and from the container... took him about 30 min to rig one... used 2 of those high lift jeep jacks to get one end of the container up... you could tell he'd done it often... 

          the whole deal was homemade.... doubt he had $500 in it...

          been think'n about since i saw it... think an empty 40ft is about 8000lbs

          p

          1. User avater
            xxPaulCPxx | Feb 04, 2009 09:46pm | #31

            The Swing Thru system is better for situations where the trailer is full, and can't be tipped around.  It also allows you to place the containers with the doors facing eachother so they can't easily be accessed/broken into.

            Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!

            Look, just send me to my drawer.  This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.

  12. User avater
    Gunner | Feb 05, 2009 05:17am | #32

        Man you've had me thinking deeper about this. I'm trying to figure out a way to explain to the wife that we need to buy one of these and set it up to live in in case the poo poo hits the fan.

        My best friend and I are discussing setting up a "retreat" in case the economy collapses or other tragedies strike. We had been thinking about building cabins But this may be a better alternative.

        Wonder what it cost to get one spotted in the middle of West Virginia?

     

     

       I'm bringing sexy back.

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yIqwyR1ays

    1. Scott | Feb 06, 2009 01:14am | #33

      IMO, they wouldn't make very good cabins, depending on the type of poo poo you must endure. By the time you add up the cost of the container, and then the cost of making the thing half-liveable, you'd be better off to build a small shack out of standard basic materials. Especially for a guy like you with building skills, knowledge. Connections with finding used/surplus building materials helps too.We've got one that is great for unheated storage, best purchase I've ever made, but I'd hate to live in it.Scott.

      1. User avater
        Gunner | Feb 06, 2009 03:21am | #35

            Lots of soldiers live in them. I wouldn't want to spend my retirement years in one. Six months top. It's just an idea floating through my head.

         

         

          C'mon C'mon and do..... The locomotion with me.

         

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3sCNRnn7GA

    2. ponytl | Feb 06, 2009 02:42am | #34

      if you get the 20ft... then  pretty simple to slide a house trailer axle under it and tow it...  they deliver my 40's on a roll back trailer

      p

      1. User avater
        Gunner | Feb 06, 2009 03:23am | #36

            Cool. Like I was saying we have them scattered around our facilities at work. Pretty handy storage units.

         

         

          C'mon C'mon and do..... The locomotion with me.

         

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3sCNRnn7GA

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