Suitable Base For Sea Cargo Carrier

[fractal]

We used one as a remote measuring site when I was in grad school. We bought one of the refrigerated containers. These have two advantages over non refrigerated containers. First they are insulated. Second they have two holes in the non-door end that the cold air hoses hook up to. These holes were perfect for mounting an exhaust fan.

We just dumped ours in a field. It worked great for the couple of years that we used it. The only thing we did was to place a couple of pavers in front of the doors so we weren't sanding in mud when we went in and out.

I am looking at putting one in for storage here and all I am doing is moving a bit of dirt around to make the spot level. My big concern is the one that has been mentioned. Most folk deliver with a rolloff. The container is 8 ft high and the rolloff truck is another 6-8. You need to have close to 16 ft of vertical clearance all the way to where you want the container unless you want to drag it, have a crane lift it into position or, with the smaller ones, have a fork lift carry it into position.

 

[polecat]

BUILD A SKID OUT OF OAK LOGS AND 2X8'S THAT U KIN SET IT ON WHEN IT ARRIVES AND THEN DRAGoops..sorry bout the caps.......it to wherever u wanna !!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Rip]

I have a 20' on 6x6 PT landscape timbers for 4 yrs and has been fine.

I added front & rear / top & bottom cross-vents to ensure reasonable air circulation and no excessive heat build up. Drilled 2 1/2" holes in the "inside" of the corregations and used self-drilling screws to attach 1/8" hardware cloth plus formed a rain shield out of galvanized flashing for each. Never had any problems with moisture, heat, or critters with this set-up. You want the outside a light neutral color and the inside painted white so you can see better.

You might want to consider two 20' units as would be easier to set initially and move around and utilize all available space.

If you can handle and still want a 40', an additional walk-in or overhead garage type door in the back half can really increase the usability of the space. They are usually not as secure as the main cargo doors, so if that is a significant concern, two 20 footers with the high security bar locks may still be better. Many of the suppliers will do these modifications and deliver a freshly painted unit ready to go.

If you possibly can, go and inspect the units and pick out what you want. There can be big differences between what is available and price vs condition from one outfit to another. You will also have to specify which end (door or solid) they are to load forward on the delivery truck.

Regarding overhead clearance, the standard 8' high units will be 13' or less on the delivery truck, but will need more headroom as they tilt it up to roll off.

Good luck,

Rip