Shipping Containers-If you did it again, what would you do differently?

[mikester]

I'm looking at getting a shipping container for temporary storage of misc equipment and attachments. I was originally considering a 40 footer with doors on each end but those seem hard to find. Same with 20 footers. I also came across 1 time containers advertised as "new" but in reality they have been used once.

I'm leaning towards a 20 footer one time container with a single set of doors because of cost and in the hopes it will be in better shape and easier to relocate in the future.

For the guys who have storage containers, what do you like about what you selected and what would you do differently if you could do it again?

 

[3Ts]

I have a 20' one-time container. Lots of humidity inside, but it sits on the ground. For a do over, I'd raise it a foot to see if that cuts down on the moisture inside. Means i'd need a ramp or stairs to get in. (Right now it's empty and a friend of mine wants it so it'll be moving once he gets some funds and a trailer to move it.)

 

[caver]

I have a 20' and no regrets on size as I intend to move it in the next year. I should have started painting it white right after I got it but it was February. By mid April it was turning into an oven inside during the day. I'm working on the paint right now as time permits. I also am halfway into installing two tiny solar fans to pull air through during the day.

 

[AWSubie]

I have a 40 foot high cube. It sits on a gravel base and l have a crushed stone ramp. If I had a “do over” I would put two foundation pads, one at each corner where the doors are to prevent settling and the twisting of the structure which causes the doors to bind. I can still do this but it will be a pain to empty the container and push it back.

 

[linus69]

If possible try to deal with a shipping company selling their own containers and avoid the "dealers,brokers and middlemen" also you want to buy an A Grade container which can still be used on the ocean as opposed to a B Grade container which can no longer be used on the ocean and is another way of saying condemned container. Also you can usually get a high cube 40 foot for the same price as an 8 foot high container just by asking for it

.

Also adding vents will help keep the container from becoming an oven. I added 12 volt high volume muffin fans to aid in air movement.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I got mine for FREE, so I got what I got. If I had to buy one, I would ONLY look at a Reefer (Insulated) unit. BUT, any additional one wouldn't be used for just sundry storage either.

 

[mikester]

I got mine for FREE, so I got what I got. If I had to buy one, I would ONLY look at a Reefer (Insulated) unit. BUT, any additional one wouldn't be used for just sundry storage either.

I'm still kicking myself, about 15 years ago I could have bought several all stainless steel insulated cans for $3K each. Didn't need it at the time and I can't find anything like them anymore.

 

[RjCorazza]

I have a standard height 40' single door container. It's sitting on 8 railroad ties leveled on concrete blocks, with a layer of gravel.
What I would do different is :
- hi cube
- doors on each end

 

[arizona98tj]

I have a 20' one-time container. Lots of humidity inside, but it sits on the ground. For a do over, I'd raise it a foot to see if that cuts down on the moisture inside. Means i'd need a ramp or stairs to get in. (Right now it's empty and a friend of mine wants it so it'll be moving once he gets some funds and a trailer to move it.)

Raising it might help but if I had to make a decision based on personal experience, I would say not likely. I have a 20' single-use container that sits on a handful of 6"x6"x8' ground contact rated beams. It has two small vents in it made by the manufacturer but they obviously do little, if anything, to help keep it dry. I live in northern MN and when the temp swings start in for the winter and spring seasons, I get condensation on the inside and it drips. I've got nothing in there that has a problem with this but I really wish it didn't.

As for having doors at both ends, mine does, and it is the best feature of the container. It pretty much negates Murphy's Law of Container Storage and not being able to get to what you need without unloading 3/4s of the contents.

 

[tmc_31]

I just purchased one back in the summer to store my tractor and skid loader in. I bought a double door 40' Hi cube one tripper so that I could always get which ever machine out that I needed without having to move the other one first. I paid a premium for it and had to wait for one to be shipped in.

I am thinking of buying a 20' single door standard ht just for general storage. Around here those can be had for less than 2k including shipping.

Tim