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40 Foot Cargo Containers
http://www.onsitestorage.com

Ok guys wanted to see if any of you have had any experience with these. My wife and I have a new little mechanic on the way so space is going to be getting even more limited in the near future at the house so I've been looking at storage bays at the local U-Store it and for the approximate cost of a years worth of storage (10X20) I can get one of these (8X40) and stick it out at the wife's dad's farm. It's also been discussed burying it in the side of the hill at the farm with just the doors sticking out so it wouldn't be so obvious. The more I look at them and think about it the better I like the idea and the concept of getting 2 and using one for winter storage of my trucks (Would have to roll them back in with the doors closed of course and block the wheels).
Thoughts?
MONGO

KC
I work in NY Harbor at the Vessel Traffic Center and we monitor all those container ships coming in. Litterally millons of containers per year just in New York. Now most folks know the U.S. has a trade difficit with nearly everyone we do buisness with. As a consequence not too many of these containers leave again. Off I 95 in New Jersey around Newark there are mountains of containers (I can't figure how they stack them so high) These mountains have banners on them offering these containers that are sitting on expensive port side real estate for sale. To make a short story long. You should have your coice of containers cheap. Most have only made one voyage. The ports don't know what to do with them! Shop around if you can provide transport I bet the price will be really low! Maybe they'll pay you to haul one or two away! Ron

Same story on the west coast in Portland and Seattle / Tacoma ports. Cheap storage. I have plans to make one into a blast / paint cabinet for doing frames.

Good info guys would either of you be willing to get me phone numbers of some of the places that have them around there, I can't supply transport but I think it would be worth calling to see what they would sell em for and what transport would run. Might be cheaper than what I'm seeing local ($1400 for the container and $400 to transport about 2 hours from KC to the farm)
Thanks again,
Mongo

Might also look into military surplus auctions

Try Here Government liquidation Ron

I have several 20's lined up. They are about 12' apart from each other and I spanned the gap with corrugated sheet metal to make carports and work areas. I even find with 20' that it becomes hard to get to the back. Storage in the rear gets damp, and sometimes rusts. It is dark even 20' back. I would buy two 20's before I would do a 40' even though more money. It is also easier to move a 20' with a truck and roll it around on pipe. I have had both 20's and 40's, and the re-sale is better on a 20'.

Wondertruck, if the stored items are important to you I would install an electric fan in each one. Air movement should alleviate your condensation problem. A couple of wind driven turbine attick (sp?) fans should do it.

Have any of you shot the inside with spray foam insulation to weatherize these and cut down on the sweats some?
Out of the chute they a just a single wall steel box, correct? Typically what do they have for flooring?

Bruce, where does one purchase said foam? I considered spraying the back of the and roof with it but have no idea on how to apply it or where to purchase it? Is it a commercial product or a building product? Or both?

Rust: Should be a local contractor that sprays that stuff. I had our new home sprayed then insulated the house is so tight that we have to crack a window (closed room to help feed the intake side of the furnace. popcorn The Truth is Out There (Yes I would put a ceiling fan in also)

Skip,
I'd check the insulation contractors for names. I think it's fairly common application for steel buildings. If it's possible to control the expanded film thickness, there are some resto applications that are intriguing.

There is open cell foam and closed cell foam and I'm not sure which does what, but one contributes to sweat rust more than the other. This is that "little info can be dangerous" deal we've heard about.... Anybody up to speed on this technology???

Floors are steel cross beams from side to side with wood decking installed on top of that. I have seen a lot of containers with rough oak deck for floors.

The best way to keep the moisture out is to put louvered vents around the base and top to allow air flow. Temperature differentials will always be in favor of having a dew point inside that is lower than outside and it will sweat. Keeping the air exchange with outside will help keep the dew point equal inside and out keep condensation to a minimum.