Shipping Container as a cool Garage

[cobraman]

I am so impressed with what is being accomplished with these retired Shipping Containers. I am curious if anyone on this site has knowledge of any garages being constructed of these. The possibilities are endless.

Here is an example link for some residential uses.
http://www.residentialshippingcontainerprimer.com/Shipping%20Container%20House%20in%20AMAGANSETT

 

[Tom_20m]

Don't know of any garages, but I spent 9 months in one with 3 other guys in Qatar. 4 man rooms, compliments of uncle Sam. Only problem was there was no windows so when you woke up, you did not know what time it was. I've seen them used as houses so it wouldn't be too hard to cut one up and make a garage. They aren't that expensive either. Some guys line them up and use them as shooting ranges.

 

[denis4x4]

see my avatar

 

[Gary S]

You can do a lot with the inside of the shipping containers, but the outside view of them always looks pretty "ghetto".
For property value, you are ahead by erecting a quality building instead.

 

[csp]

Never heard of such a thing.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19402
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100411
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64617
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41846
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6694
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4783

 

[peghead]

I like the idea of shipping containers. At 2,500.00 each that isn't bad, with delivery, but seems 60,000 bucks to make that into a house is kind of expensive. I think I could do it a lot cheaper than that!

 

[Bronson]

Around here, they get around $5500 for a large one. Too much.

 

[denis4x4]

You can do a lot with the inside of the shipping containers, but the outside view of them always looks pretty "ghetto".
For property value, you are ahead by erecting a quality building instead.

Quick note here; because they are "portable" they never show up on the property tax rolls.

 

[tarbellb]

funny you should ask about this, just finished my 40' high cube up last fall. pretty happy overall. i was very limited by space and money, but also love the idea of repurposing and the look of them. "ghetto" perhaps, or efficient, clean, structural, modern?

check out my Flickr site until i post a new thread here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/containerfabricator/page10/

and just for a peek

<a href="http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/tarbellb/?action=view&current=IMG_7575-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/tarbellb/IMG_7575-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Northstar]

You could easily put some sort of cheap siding on it using drill tip screws. Up here, I would be concerned about not being insulated.

 

[Dickey]

I've got a 40' one that I intend to use as an extension to my 40x30 garage. At the time I got it, I spent $1700 delivered. I wanted to buy another but could not afford it at the time. To which, it was way cheaper than I could have built a similar sized addition to the shop that would be strong enough to support an extension to my second floor as well. Nowadays I can't find them cheap at all so I'm likely just going to pour a slab in between it and the shop then build out to it to use as a support of sorts for the second floor and party deck.

 

[formek]

this is the thred from a wile ago

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100411

 

[Zeke]

Around here, they get around $5500 for a large one. Too much.

Hell yeah that's too much. I can get them for 1500 FOB all day here. And less. That gives me 4000 bucks to run 2000 miles. If I could pick up loads coming back I could be in business.

 

[Ign]

Hell yeah that's too much. I can get them for 1500 FOB all day here. And less. That gives me 4000 bucks to run 2000 miles. If I could pick up loads coming back I could be in business.

Yep, a 40' is between $5500 and $6k here. Too expensive for me to want one.

 

[Rust]

Back in the day, when i was setting modular houses. We were in Newark NJ setting a multi-cluster projects, roughly 40 clusters comprised of 800 boxes (units).
We had a large shipping container as a tool room, the neat thing about it is that we would be able to rig it to the crane and move it close to the cluster we were working on. Made life easy.
I guess if portability is your thing it would work.

 

[cobraman]

tarbellb. That's a pretty setup. Love the glass.

 

[cderalow]

Hell yeah that's too much. I can get them for 1500 FOB all day here. And less. That gives me 4000 bucks to run 2000 miles. If I could pick up loads coming back I could be in business.

I would expect, at a place like long beach, one of the largest ports in the US that it would be cheap to get them.

The same is true near Baltimore or Newark.

Not so true in South Carolina or inland, as they typically get used back and forth in those areas.

 

[csp]

Even in the landlocked state of Colorado I see them regularly for less than $2500.

Every state has these shipped in and out via railcars and OTR trucking.

 

[RonRock]

I've been told that these containers have wood floors. Is that true? Don't seem right to me, but I've never looked inside one.

 

[tarbellb]

I've been told that these containers have wood floors. Is that true? Don't seem right to me, but I've never looked inside one.

tarbellb. That's a pretty setup. Love the glass.

thanks Cobraman. it was a very cool and unorthodox build. the glass is actually from our local airport DIA. the company that services their glass/doors has to replace them based on age. so i found these on CL for super cheap. just so happened to fit my application perfect. got to dabble in making double glazed windows from them.
btw, that entire (blue) door slides into a void to the right, opening up for a big work area in front

RonRock, they DO have wood floors, and they are amazing. something like 12 layer chinese hardwood, 1.75" thick. that with 8" steel channels running shortwise ever 12" makes it capable of handling huge loads ie forklifts with lots of weight.

<a href="http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/tarbellb/?action=view&current=IMG_5901.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/tarbellb/IMG_5901.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/tarbellb/?action=view&current=IMG_0440.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a178/tarbellb/IMG_0440.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[RonRock]

Cool, thanks.

 

[Brad54]

I've heard of one guy that makes underground bunkers out of them... Makes a hatch/stairway in top, adds ventilation, beds, shelves, and then will bury it on your property.

Word is he can't keep up with the demand. He owned an excavation company before the housing market took a dump.

I can see using one for a cheap hunting cabin, or burying one in the side of a hill for a cabin, storm shelter, shop, food cellar or bunker.

-Brad

 

[mordantly]

central CA a water tight 40 footer runs about $1500. only problem is my county won't allow them in RSF zoning...

 

[tarbellb]

central CA a water tight 40 footer runs about $1500. only problem is my county won't allow them in RSF zoning...

I've heard of one guy that makes underground bunkers out of them... Makes a hatch/stairway in top, adds ventilation, beds, shelves, and then will bury it on your property.

Word is he can't keep up with the demand. He owned an excavation company before the housing market took a dump.

I can see using one for a cheap hunting cabin, or burying one in the side of a hill for a cabin, storm shelter, shop, food cellar or bunker.

-Brad

i was able to cut out the middle man just by luck, and scored a 40'x10' (high cube) which is the most sought after type for $1900. the local container sellers wanted $2900+ at the time. prices def fall and rise with the market value of metal.

the versatility of these is amazing. just a giant modular building block really.