I was wondering if anyone has used a storage container for workshop/tractor storage. When I used to commercial fish 5 of us lived in a container 2 sets of bunk beds and a cot. I just thought if I could find one cheap I could convert it into a nice workshop. What are your thoughts on this?
Steve
I have also been thinking of one of those. I was thinking of just short term though. Some place to store stuff till the house is done. Do people rent them? Where do you get them?
Paul Bradway
I see these things behind all the big box stores lately. They must not have planned their storage needs well enough. Around here (not sure if it's local or not) the name on them is often "Kingman Mobile Lease".
I would think a container would make a fine tractor barn, it's probably what the imports come over on anyway [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Rob
I looked into those a while ago. They advertise in www.auto-rv.com all the time. One problem I ran into was that every place that I called said I was responsible for getting it moved and they didn't provide any help as to how to accomplish that. I just checked again though and I see one of them, www.secontainers.com is offering delivery. I'm sure it's not cheap getting one hauled, though. Another thing I didn't like was that they are quite narrow. The last, and probably biggest, problem was that my wife balked at how it would look, so I'd of had to stick it deep in the woods where it wouldn't be seen, which would be inconvenient. I finally concluded that a metal carport/garage would be a better option for roughly the same cost.
Check out this website:
HandiStorage
It will give you an idea of what they cost.
:: D A V E
:: g a t o r b o y
The place we've been buying our feed from for the past 10 years had a storage trailer parked next to their storage garage. They keep feed, seed, wood chips, etc. in this place. This year they decided to build a barn addition to the storage garage. I asked the owner about it and he said that he made a mistake leasing the storage container for so long since he had spent what it cost him to put the pole barn up. He said if he had it to do over agin, he would have put the barn up in the first place. Seems it was all too easy to keep paying the monthly charge for the trailer.
MY neighnor has a box car for his shop. I see ads in the newspaper to buy storage boxes and old semi trailers for a low price.
Twenty foot land/sea/air containers start around $1,000-$1,500 here. Forty footers run more but not double. Old semi box trailers with roll up rear and no side doors in the 40'-45' lengths start about the same money. The trade offs are that you can move those a little more readily but also have to climb 5 steps every time you want to use one on it's tandems, too.
Gary - Who is the company that is selling 20' containers starting at $1000?
Here are some questions I asked the folks at www.secontainers.com and the answers I got:
Are the storage containers you sell suitable for storing furniture, such as couches and beds? That is, how tight are they sealed?
You can store furniture in our containers. All of our equipment is warranted wind and water tight.
What would the shipping charges be for a 20' storage container? This would be to a residential home in the country near Columbus, Indiana. How do you unload the container from the truck bed?
Shipping rate to Columbus, In.-$275.00, with a unit shipped from Indianapolis. We do stock equipment in Indy.
Containers are shipped on a roll-off trailer, sets right on the ground without any lifting.
I did a quick estimate of the cost of a container vs the cost of a garage by the square foot.
I figured (roughly) a 24'x24' pole barn/garage would cost about $3000, if I do the labor. That would not include the concrete floor. Adding a concrete floor would bring it up to roughly $3500. That works out to about $6 per square foot, with me doing all the work.
I can get a 20'x8' container for $1250 plus $275 delivery, so the total would be $1525. That includes a floor strong enough to hold a small vehicle (Jeep, compact diesel tractor). That works out to $9.50 per square foot, and I don't have to do any work.
So, the pole barn/garage wins out as far as cost per square foot is concerned, as long as you don't mind doing the work and have the time. Advantages that I can think of: looks good, adds value to property, even more storage room up on the rafters, should last the rest of my life, can drive a full size truck into it. Disadvantage: takes time and work to build.
The storage container would be a good way to go if someone doesn't need as much square footage and doesn't want to spend as much (why spend $3500 if you can spend $1500 and get what you need?). Advantages I can think of: quick, easy, can be moved. Disadvantages: doesn't look good, can't get a full size truck in it.
Now that I've found a place that will deliver a storage container for a reasonable price, at this point I'm leaning toward thinking seriously of getting a 20' one. I just ordered a 18'Wx26'L metal carport to have installed on my future pole barn/garage site, since I've run out of time to even get started on building anything. If it works out good, which I expect it will since all I really need right now is something to park under to keep the dew and frost off the windows etc, then I may even leave it there for 2 winters. I could have a container plopped down just inside the woods and put a lot of stuff in there that I'm currently storing in my attached garage (Jeep CJ-5 and other misc stuff), so that would make a lot more room in the garage, which would postpone the need for the future pole barn/garage. So, with the $850 carport and a $1500 container, I would have the storage room I need right now and only spend $2350 and let someone else do all the work
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