Shipping container??

[Diamondback]

Heck, you guys are gonna laugh at this... for a time, I was considering trying to build a home out of Conexes, the goal being basically "Giant LEGO Set" where moving would just be a matter of making sure everything was buttoned up and tied down, disconnecting the power and utility lines between containers, close hatches then disassemble on old lot and reassemble on the new.

Remember the bad guy's rigs in Live Free or Die Hard? Yeah, that's part of the inspiration...

 

[Ura-Ki]

I had three shipping containers delivered to me when I first bought my property, They are a great way to secure things out of the weather and to keep people from getting to your things! I had two of them full of cars and parts and the other full of household stuff and such! My experience with them is that they are pretty good and sealed as is, and the lock protection works better then you think! Remember, these containers are Salt resistant and are also pretty water proof! My plan now it to cut them up and reuse the steel for other projects I have running! One being under ground storage for food stuffs!

 

[Sstrand]

If it is outside, buried, or in an unheated building how do you deal with condensation etc.?

Sheldon

 

[The Heretic]

To answer the questions:

1) I thought about it yesterday, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, I think a 20' would of course give me more room and that I have the space in my shop for a 20' container. Yes - a 10' would give me space for a single safe and not a lot more - just storage. Whereas 20' would let me put a workbench and shelving in and still have room for two 42"x28" safes side by side - basically taking up most of the width (container is 8' inside), and 70" (~6') of the depth when the doors are opened.

OTOH - with a 40x50 shop, I really don't need the container to do anything but store the safes and some items I would hang on the walls. But still, it would be nice to have shelving inside to put powder and ammo on.

2) I looked this morning and I was wrong - I doubt I could get a 20' container in where I was thinking it would go along the back - not enough space to turn it as the support posts are every ten feet front to back, every ~12' side to side, although there are some areas where that isn't true.

I have two vehicle doors - one on each side of the shop, one an RV door (~12 wide by 14' high IIRC) and the other a car width door. The container would fit well in the back half of the car side with room to park a moderate sized car in front of it. Then I could put my big truck into the RV side when I want to

I would probably have the container delivered and have them try to scoot it back in the car door all the way to the back. The problem is it isn't a real straight shot in - but I think they could get it in.

No, I don't have a tractor or fork lift - neighbor has a tractor. I do have a 9k# winch I could pull it in with. I think I can get it in.

Once in, I am thinking I would drill down through the floor of the container on the inside, then down into the concrete, then sink some big bolts into the concrete. The only way to get to the bolts would be to get inside the container. I think it would take a pretty good hunk of machinery to yank on a 5#K container with two 1500# safes inside, hard enough to break a half dozen high strength bolts sunk down a foot into concrete.

Remember, the shop will be alarmed and I do have neighbors on three sides of me, and a few miles down the road is the home of a sheriff's deputy.

Overall, I don't think the shipping container, once loaded, placed and bolted down, is going anywhere very quick - probably not near as fast as a safe by itself.

The place I would put it is not visible from any window (only two) - it is back in a dark corner - so someone has to know it is there and that it contains something valuable. Very few people come up here. Garbage man, mail person, UPS/FedEx, neighbors. It is half mile long private road, and I am halfway down it. You cannot see my house or shop from the public road.

 

[The Heretic]

If it is outside, buried, or in an unheated building how do you deal with condensation etc.?

Sheldon

I am going to put a dehumidifier inside it.

 

[The Heretic]

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[Camelfilter]

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Nice. Your idea of plopping one in your garage/shop is great!

I still like the idea of reinforcing the roof & burying them though, mind that I don't own a house/property yet, so I have the opportunity to look for land that I could do what I think I want on it.

Not sure yet if I'd want it totally buried or half buried & burmed over. Would make an access ramp easier to do if it's half buried & burmed though. My thoughts are as previously mentioned, for foods storage. I'll have to look at research in temperature / insulation / drainage etc information when I get to that point -- a long while from now...

Edit, adding: when I moved out here last year I used one of those "pods" type shipping containers by United Mayflower. 16'x8'. Since I wasnot home a lot while it was on sight back east, I was slightly concerned someone with a flat bed would come along & snag it. I took some hardened steel chain & wrapped it in & around the loop point on the box they use for there winch. Locked it with a hardened lock (all stuff I had). They could have cut the chain or lock with a cutting wheel, but they would have had to have one with them & it would have made a heck of a racket which my neighbors would have noticed (more so than just a flat bed truck backing up & loading).

 

[Sstrand]

I still wonder about moisture. The containers we have at the rifle range have some small ventilation holes.

Sheldon

 

[Camelfilter]

I still wonder about moisture. The containers we have at the rifle range have some small ventilation holes.

Sheldon

Dehumidifier.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I'm thinking of alternatives for my new found hobby of reloading. The only problem is in my woodworking shop there is a slight dust problem, even though I have an air filtration unit running constantly while actually woodworking...
This right here would be a fantastic reloading/gun safe with a safe space for the EBR's and all the other friends it is acquainted with...

 

[etrain16]

Here's a good look at how one could be used:

 

[Diamondback]

NIIICE! A little inefficient on use of space, but that's the cost of a walk-in safe...

 

[mjbskwim]

A track hoe will open these up like a can of tomatoes.
But if it's in a shop they have to get thru that first.
And by the time you re enforce the top to bury it,you might as well do concrete.

 

[Brutus57]

It may be cheaper for me to get one than build a shed. Just put a roof over the top leanto style. Then walk away.

We have this set up at our storage unit. All the guy had available in the size storage area we wanted was a 20 footer. Everything else was in a big barn with plywood enclosures, etc. When he opened the continer up I said we'll take it. It even has screened vents surrounded by the wood shed so they let air in but nothing else. We have been here 2 years and dry as a bone inside. He doesn't allow ammo or firearms but since it's a few miles away I wouldn't store anything THAT valuable in it even if he did.

Brutus Out

 

[Joe13]

A $200 dehumidifier from Home Depot puts out some heat as well as pulling moisture out of the air.

If you left it in the container for a few days it would settle down on the RH swings - as long as it's out of the sun.

 

[Camelfilter]

...And by the time you re enforce the top to bury it,you might as well do concrete.

Got me thinking on that a bit, thanks!

Seems best bet to have a pre-fab buried room is a new concrete septic tank or water tank.

 

[IronMonster]

I got just a couple things to say.

First off, I own 8 shipping containers at the moment ranging from 6' x 6' x 8' military drop boxes to 48' high cubes.

#1 Little ones are far less useful than you would think.

#2 Nothing is ever truly secure, its just a matter of how much you slow them down

#3 Moisture is a bigger problem than you think if they are outside, its not an issue at all if they are inside a temp controlled building (never drops below the dew point) Sealed and in the sun is a bad combo in the pacific northwest. Vents solve most of the issue.

#4 If you buy them right they will always be worth when you spent, One of the best reasons for having a container over other kind of temp building.

 

[rcnpthfndr]

a lot like legos

 

[IronMonster]

I would guess there is $70,000 worth of just containers in that stack. Depending on what you intend to to it I dont think its really a great means to "build" with. For $70K you could buy a 6000 sq foot metal building kit that would end up far more usable

 

[rcnpthfndr]

I was just kidding, actually the containers didn't cost anything. I built 5 shoot houses for the Kuwaiti secret service last summer. its for simmunitions/SERT rounds, breaching and the such.