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Outfitting a Shipping Container

Plump

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Dec 22, 2009
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537
Location
SE Wisconsin
I'll be getting a shipping container this year for cold storage of various tractors, landscape supplies, etc. and would love to see what people have used for organization inside the container. Shelving, lighting, general organization to be able to roll things in and out without having to move EVERYTHING, everytime. Any tips and FAQ-type comments are very welcomed as I have NO experience with one of these.

Photos would be amazing.

Thanks!
 
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cannuck

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Nov 30, 2021
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Rural SK
I built a storage shelter from 2 x 40' high cubes. 20 x 40 floor in between, tension fabric cover over everything. One container is wife's for household, the other is mine for shop overflow. I have some wheels and tires stacked at the back then Costco shelving down one side and stacks of totes on the other. I wired for light, but until I get some more time I just carry a magnetic battery LED when too dark from what gets in open door. Sorry, no pics as this computer and my phone won't talk to each other.
 

tarbellb

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Apr 17, 2011
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Oregon
This is the way 👆



to reiterate, if you can get a High Cube its worth the extra cost for the headroom and not feeling like a hallway

If you can get two and span overhead protection between them its a huge footprint for not a lot of work

The base and corners are rigid, no real need for a base other then rock/dirt

Costco Whalen brand heavy duty racks are worth every dollar, those and some totes can get you very organized
 

Codyboy

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Jan 31, 2019
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S.E. TEXAS
This is the way 👆



to reiterate, if you can get a High Cube its worth the extra cost for the headroom and not feeling like a hallway

If you can get two and span overhead protection between them its a huge footprint for not a lot of work

The base and corners are rigid, no real need for a base other then rock/dirt

Costco Whalen brand heavy duty racks are worth every dollar, those and some totes can get you very organized
Rigid yes but will need to be on firm ground and level because it will twist and causes door issues.
OP , when you say tractor , how large are we talking about?
My 65hp cab tractor will not fit in my 40ft high cube container.

There is quite a bit of room inside but they're pretty narrow and adding shelves or cabinets makes it worse. I suppose up high shelves would be best.
They do make double ended door models but hard to find and more expensive.
I would at least put in a mandoor at the far end or in the middle.
 

abfish

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Sep 20, 2024
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39
I bought a 20 ft. container with a mandoor on one long side, and a barred window on the other. The door and the window make a huge improvement in the useability of the container.
 

Jazz1

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Jan 3, 2016
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4,184
Location
Thunder Bay On.
Ventilation is critical to prevent rust. My friend works for storage company,,sees the results,..rust and mold depending on whats being stored in shipping containers.
 
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Pluribus

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Dec 16, 2012
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Skagit County, WA
If available, get one with doors on both ends. If not, I'd modify it to have a man door either on the other end or on the side close to the other end. I have one with doors on both ends, and being able to load wide stuff from both ends is a really useful feature. Otherwise, it can be tough to utilize the back without having to keep a "hallway" clear from the other end. If you can get one with the door closure bars inside and a recess for a puck lock, those are nice too.

Mine is a standard height, which is about 1" shorter than the ROPS on the tractor. Cue Maxwell Smart: "Missed it by THAT much!" Guess who gets to lower the ROPS every time I put the tractor away?

I dug down below the loamy surface soil and put down 8" square x 2' long PT blocks to rest mine on. After 10+ years it settled a little, so I bought one of these after realizing the Hi-Lift Jack wasn't enough to lift a corner. Just got it, but I think it's going to do the trick. https://www.amazon.com/DEEAGLE-Ship...Easy-Grip/dp/B0CZP1VZ6D/?tag=atomicindus08-20
 

Blk88GT

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Mar 16, 2009
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1,062
Location
Manitoba
I built an 8x8x2 deep wooden shelving unit and placed it at the far end (opposing the door) to store all my junk on/under. I need the width of the shipping container to be able to get around the skid steer I have parked in it up front.

The can is sitting on 2 6x6x8' pressure treated timbers rated for ground contact.
 

Oregon rock crusher

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Jun 28, 2016
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Location
West of Salem
I bought a 40' high cube to hold a bunch of displaced equipment while I was redoing part of the shop. Before loading it I glued two inches of poly-iso foam board to the ceiling and painted it white. I also made some shelfs that hang high on the walls down the sides hooked to the containers anchor rings.

For loading I put most all of the really heavy stuff down one side. They all have caster plates under them with blocks supporting the weight after they were in place. Down the other side I put mostly lighter easier to move items. Makes it possible to pull something large from the back without unloading the whole side.

I keep the doors shut tight and I don't have vents. If it's been cold for a while, and a warm wet front comes through, I will not open it. By keeping the moist air out heavy castings do not sweat and rust in there. Also, as I had a big drop off behind the shop, I built a frame to hold the container allowing it to sit about 15' off the ground. That got it almost completely out of my way. It also gives plenty of storage and working space under the container. If anyone is interested here is a link to a thread showing how the can got airborne and few pics of it loaded. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...rklift-attachments-thread.436205/post-9143134 Ed.
 

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JD Miller

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Nov 10, 2024
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72
Location
Goober Idaho
Some "realtor" had a metal shipping container decked out with a bath room, kitchen, carpet lighting couch etc, as a B&B, Bed and Breakfast investment opportunity on fakespook Marketplace. It was some ridiculous price like $350k . LOL! :Homer: :Homer: :Homer:
 

bluedog225

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Jan 31, 2012
Messages
3,261
Location
Texas
Off the ground is good for ventilation, possible storage, and to keep critters out. Blocks or 10’ beams so you can level easily from side to side. Front to back doesn’t matter much. But draining to the door is probably a good idea. And room for a jack under there to shim after settling, bottle jack or heavy floor jack.

If it gets hot there, scrub roof with dawn and Henry’s elastomeric cool roof paint. Careful, it’s easy to step off the long narrow roof.

there are often/normally steel loops on the top inside edge (see photo). They can be used to hang shelves. Old cheap aluminum ladders work pretty well covered with plywood.

The new one trips have a vinyl floor that is nice. If wood, treat it before use. Or not. The wood is an inch thick. And takes tons of abuse. But the one trips are pretty nice when they come in and you might want to coat it.

If you care, there are different wood treatments on the floors. The old stuff was bad in a 1950s kind of way. I think the treatment degenerated into something even more toxic than the original. The newer ones have tallynium? No so bad.

The cast corners will accept a large chain hook, I think from the bottom. Then put the shackle end out the side. It makes robust tie down point.

Double doors and high cubes are nice. And that Costco shelf just fits sideways if single door.

2” polyiso sheets can make good insulation. Easy to install. The spacers are for my Mylar layer. I’ve got heat issues you may not have to contend with.

IMG_6967.jpeg
 

WE3ZS

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Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Messages
153
Location
Media PA
When working in the oil refinery we had dozens and dozens of those shipping containers all over the facility. Most common were the 40’ box with Doris on one end and two 7’ wide cheap roll up doors spaced out along the one side. Typical interior had 2’ or 3’ deep shelving along the entire non door side, a few had 2’ deep on one side and 1.5’ deep shelving along the other in between the roll up doors. Had several 3 box configurations set into a U shape with all of the roll up doors facing into the “courtyard”. Most of these setup then had metal trusses laid over the boxes to allow for various sized courtyards used for field fabrication and other mechanical work. The boxes were extremely handy.
 
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