Guns in a storage unit?

[IronMonster]

And while perhaps not at your dad's facility, but every storage unit where I've ever rented had the cheapest locks for sale, built to look tough.

If they don't have a lock he will sell them a cheap knock off of a "puck" lock and really we don't have much trouble with those. Its the cheap, unprotected hasp locks that seem to get regularly picked off. If the lock can be cut off with a pair of bolt cutters that a guy can carry under his coat... It will eventually get cut off.

 

[CLT65]

A friend of mine moved to New Mexico and had to put some stuff in a storage unit for a few nights, including several guns, a few heirloom coins and jewelry; the smaller stuff that he brought with him instead of putting in the moving van.

Someone cut through the fence in the middle of the night, in full view of the security cameras, and broke into a bunch of units. He lost anything of value he had in there. He said the police weren't even interested in looking at the security footage, said it happened all the time and there was no chance of finding the theives.

 

[11Charlie]

A friend of mine moved to New Mexico and had to put some stuff in a storage unit for a few nights, including several guns, a few heirloom coins and jewelry; the smaller stuff that he brought with him instead of putting in the moving van.

Someone cut through the fence in the middle of the night, in full view of the security cameras, and broke into a bunch of units. He lost anything of value he had in there. He said the police weren't even interested in looking at the security footage, said it happened all the time and there was no chance of finding the theives.

Well that is just about a jacked up story.

 

[CLT65]

He was hopping mad for quite a while. I despise a thief, about the lowest form of scum out there.

 

[11Charlie]

I bet he was. I can't even imagine. And yes thieves are absolutely the lowest form of scum.

 

[P7M13]

I bet he was. I can't even imagine. And yes thieves are absolutely the lowest form of scum.

Slight disagreement here: run of the mill thieves, while despicable, stand head and shoulders above thieving politicians, like Kitzhaber, or thieves who embezzle funds from their church. Acting in the name of good while stealing is a much lower form of scum, IMO.

 

[CLT65]

I despise them all, from the unknown punk who stole my little girl's bicycle in the middle of the night, to the millionaire Wall Street crooks who milk the system to steal from everyone.

 

[The Heretic]

My dad owns a storage unit facility..... I can tell you its a very bad idea to leave anything you care about in a storage unit. If you have to put it in one, buy a quality lock. 90% of the break ins we see the units stand out because they had an inferior lock.

Knew a guy who managed one of those facilities. He saw a lot of breakins by people who would rent a unit, cut/break through the wall and take other people's stuff. Later he rented a unit himself and had that happen to him.

When you think about it, most people don't go to their unit daily to check them out, and management staff don't look inside units unless you happen to have them open when they happen by, so it gives a thief a lot of time to get thru the wall, into your unit, and pillage it at their leisure.

I was lucky nobody ever broke into mine, and I now have a 2kSF shop to store stuff in.

 

[ob1]

ReloCube® Size & Delivery
Put it wherever.

 

[Camelfilter]

ReloCube® Size & Delivery
Put it wherever.

Last move out to here from Boston we used a United Mayflower "pod". 8'x8'x16'. Super super expensive, but we didn't have to pay for it, work covered it.

Had it on location back East to pack it up at a liesurely pace for a month with what we could before hiring help.

They drove it crossed country then stored it up in Portland for a month or 2 until we found a decent place to live here.

Called & they dropped it off, hired some movers off of the Craigslist.

Funny that, as when I contacted several, I wanted copies of there bond & wanted to see everyone's ID day of move...only 1 company wanted the business then...and all the guys volunteered there info...to which I waved them off...it was more of an honesty test. Had that POD unloaded and house nearly setup in under 2 hours, because that company screwed up and sent 2 crews. To the crew boss (co-owner), I told him that's fine, but we'd only pay what we agreed on (which was 1/3 what it cost back East for the help we did need). He was fine with that but was on the phone hollering at his partner who screwed up sending 2 crews. Tipped all the guys though.

Back to the OP of a storage unit. I've used them a bunch off and on. Short term and long term. Up in methhead central N Portland my first time moved out here, outside Yellowstone for a month while we explored the parks on that move out here, back East in several locations. Here for this move, stored our trailer outside out in Dallas, and the contents in a small unit. Never had a break in. New some folks were living in there unit back East though (cabbie type foreigners, who were sleeping in there unit).

Never had a lease, just month to month. Never told them when I'd move out, just moved out, then went back to the office & told them done with the unit. Pissed off the guy up N Portland, I think he was thinking on getting into that unit (or passing the word on to someone to break in), when we were nearing ready to move our crap. But we simply moved our crap.

 

[The Heretic]

I used a Pods pod to move here from Seattle - but they have a policy of no ammo or fuel/etc. and the sides were thick plastic, not steel. Cost about $1K to have them drop it off, pick it up, transport then drop/pickup again in Hillsboro. Had somebody who need a bit of cash from NWFA come and help me unload - only took a couple hours - most of it went into the garage.

When I bought this place, POs brought in two shipping containers and had those shipped to Hawaii. A shipping container is going to be more secure than any storage unit I have used - maybe the indoor units in multi-story buildings are more secure - I have never seen them.

 

[ob1]

I've noticed a lot of people have started using them for home remodeling. Have a small one dropped off in your driveway, load it up with your furniture and do the the work .....then unload and have them take it away. Eezy peezy and it's as secure as where you put it.

I am thinking you could lower your costs by limiting the storage duration.
@The Heretic brings up a good point about finding your own people to do any grunt work.
@Camelfilter , I wonder if the high cost you paid on your move might be related to renting the unit in the Boston area...I bet you could do some shopping out of city limits and find better rates {like avoiding city taxes on rental cars}.

 

[Camelfilter]

I've noticed a lot of people have started using them for home remodeling. Have a small one dropped off in your driveway, load it up with your furniture and do the the work .....then unload and have them take it away. Eezy peezy and it's as secure as where you put it.

I am thinking you could lower your costs by limiting the storage duration.
@The Heretic brings up a good point about finding your own people to do any grunt work.
@Camelfilter , I wonder if the high cost you paid on your move might be related to renting the unit in the Boston area...I bet you could do some shopping out of city limits and find better rates {like avoiding city taxes on rental cars}.

The high cost was more the cross country move for the unit, than the unit rental itself. Although still pricey, actually pretty reasonable for Boston Metro area. Just A bit more than a storage unit of the same size, at a storage place.

Really wouldn't have been too bad for a local New England move within a few hundred miles.

Didn't matter though, as work covered the entire thing, and having it on sight an extended time made for low stress (worth its weight in gold during a move, lowering stress!)-able to safely pack up fragiles & such at a liesurely pace. I think we only wound up with a few broken stemware and 1 cracked picture pane out of a LOT of fragiles.

 

[jbett98]

I was a landlord for many years and I couldn't believe how many people moved a bunch of junk from one place to the next.

 

[The Heretic]

I
@The Heretic brings up a good point about finding your own people to do any grunt work.

Flip a coin on finding people to help regardless of source. The people I had help me in Seattle were somewhat lazy and I wound up overpaying them. The guy from here (NWFA) was much better - wished I had him to help me in Seattle. Then I hired a relative and his friend to help me move up to here on the mountain and that was something of a mixed bag too - they tried, but some things got banged up there again.

Experienced movers know how to avoid this if they are conscientious.

Of course, loading stuff up is much harder than unloading and it pays to take care and time when loading stuff so it does not get damaged during transit.

Bear in mind, stuff will shift around, so take time and care about how you load things. Heavy stuff in cardboard boxes tends to come part too.

 

[The Heretic]

Didn't matter though, as work covered the entire thing, and having it on sight an extended time made for low stress (worth its weight in gold during a move, lowering stress!)-able to safely pack up fragiles & such at a liesurely pace. I think we only wound up with a few broken stemware and 1 cracked picture pane out of a LOT of fragiles.

Agreed - it was nice to not have to get it all unloaded right away, even though it did not take long - the pressure was off.

 

[Captain O]

My storage unit was broken into on Saturday morning. I don't know the damage, or what was stolen, but I'm filing against their insurance.

 

[awshoot]

Whenever I've had to move, I've fantasized about the arson method -- you know, burn it all down and move the insurance check. Never done it though (nor would I for obvious legal reasons). One reason I don't move is that I hate it so much.

 

[SHPD_Retired]

Some insurance companies consider a storage unit the same as your residence so thusly you would be covered for any loss. If you are going to store a firearm in one of them I would make sure it was a climate controlled one or your gun would rust a bunch. I think a better idea for storing a gun is to store it at a friends house. Get a hard case and put some extra things in there also, such as a change of clothes, a bit of money, etc.. This would be a good bug out backup plan also.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Thats where I keep mine, but here in Oregon. I keep about 1-3 with me now, the rest are all packed in grease and stored in a small unit. Never thought about the legality.. But I figure Im the only one who knows about them in there and should anything happen to me, my family knows the codes/ lock #'s and all that. Since its a private storage unit where you control the access, I can't imagine it'd be illegal.