I had one for years when I lived in L.A. It was my garage.
Yes, they get hot. I never noticed a moisture issue, but again... L.A. The average humidity is somewhere between negative 12 and salt lick. I also never had an issue with mice. Mine was sealed up pretty tight. Because they are used for ocean transport, they have to be pretty vermin-resistant, otherwise there would be significant loss to rats and mice. I imagine that your experience will vary based on how beat the one you get is.
One thing I had to do was true it up. The parking lot where it sat was not very flat so I had trouble getting the doors lined up so the cam locks would work and for the seals to keep rain out. I just jacked it up on one corner and shoved a chunk of metal under it.
Put wood to spread the load under the feet, wheels (landing area?). Open the doors whenever possible and shoot a box fan through on hot days. I would (anal me) would put a screen made of 1 X 2s and stapled screen to keep critters out, 3-4ft tall is enough. You don't have any critters, but if it smells like cat pee in your new digs?
Cheap insurance....
We have one at the airport for two golf carts a lawnmower a riding mower bicycles etc. Fuel is in another place. I cut 3" tall X 6" wide holes only on 3 sides, bending the flap out a bit for ventilation. Two slots on each wall up high, last one lower on the opposite side of prevailing winds. The flaps were covered from the inside with small grate expanded metal, good ventilation in case of a gas spill.
Of course you can't do this with a rental, but if you like the box, I know some people who may know some people.
=~ )
I have had a temporary container for almost 15 years now.
Good thing it is temporary. 
Be prepared to clean it out. I've rented containers twice and each time they were filthy inside with dust and mud. This was to store equipment at the fire station while we redid the floors and apron so grimy containers wasn't a huge problem, but you may want to use tarps to protect good furniture. Also no bare feet... there was always metal scraps in them too.
I don't think you'll have any issues. I've moved across the Atlantic 3 times in my life. Each time the moving company shows up with a shipping container and packs up the whole house. They seal it up and off it goes for 4-6 weeks until it's unpacked. During that time it's mostly on a ship, truck or storage yard, always exposed to the elements.
I'd be a bit concerned about any upholstered furniture or soft items like mattresses. Maybe put those in mattress bags with damp rid? We had a small upholstered chair that spent a couple of years in unconditioned storage (in SC, so hot and humid), and it got really musty. Tried everything we could to clean it and air it out, but when we moved it inside it basically made the whole room smell musty. You're storing for a lot less time and in a better climate, so hopefully not an issue for you.
My driver was about my age and super cool. Like suggested, I asked him about power cord. As part of his delivery report he had to list damage. One spot he reported was that some old ID plate is missing a rivet causing a hole. With the hole reported he then said...they don't know how big the hole is...
A few drill bits later the hole was big enough to dismantle a previously repaired, cut cord just to get the cord part through and re-assemble.
I swept the entire floor. Not too bad and all total, what I scooped up was less than 1 snow shovel load. Certainly not a place for bare feet, especially with the splintery wooden floor.
Bonus, a long time ago, someone taped off the floor in 4 ft increments.
How do you plan to get the wood...under it?
I really want to make a house out of containers. Like 12. Maybe 13.
Oh, in talking to the driver, I chose not to use the wood. He said they are wise if the placement is less than level or not a good footing but what I have is real flat concrete. With wood all the weight is on the few ties. Without the weight is spread across all.
I will admit, it didn't take much to convince me to not have to wrestle the damn heavy ties again.
John Welsh said:
I will admit, it didn't take much to convince me to not have to wrestle the damn heavy ties again.
are you going to take the ties back to the rail yard :)
Funny story on the ties...
I went searching some popular crossing for discarded ties. I actually found about 3, but... They were on the wrong side of the rail from where I had to put the truck and the down a little slope. These m-f'ers are heavy so that wasn't exactly perfect. I kept looking. In a pseudo-industrial part of my rural town, I drove past a field with all those ties in the field. It was next to a red steel building that is an auto repair. I circled back and went into the auto repair. I explained I was looking for 5 discards for on-site shipping container...yadda, yadda. He said, "they're not mine but I can call the guy." My guess is landlord. I walked into the field to inspect and when I got back I was told, "take what you want but don't mess up the pile."
Seems the property previously had a spur rail probably leading to a building (factory) that is no longer there. In the field where the ties were stacked there was also a separate stack of steel rail.
These old screen shots show where the rail used to be...
So, my wife asked, "now what do you do with them?"
1: I could just take them back and put them on the pile. I got permission from the shop owner but I then came back and got them later so no one was really in the shop when I took them. Even if I returned while they were there, they wouldn't really realize that I was already there and they wouldn't really realize that I was loading or unloading???
2: I could take the Govt' Mule to any railroad crossing with some space and just offload them. My wife said, "but wouldn't that be illegal dumping and get in trouble?" My answer was, who's going to question me in the Gov't Mule, a safety vest and boots for dropping off, not taking ties? Even if a railroad worker approached me my answer would be, "this is what the boss told me but if I'm not gonna leave them, I'm gonna need to make a phone call first!" After all, the railroad is a mega corp. Do you think any one guy really knows what's supposed to happen more than just what his own work order is?
3: I talked to my buddy in the power boat business, He's super happy to be getting them! I even told him where there are more!
John Welsh said:
I could take the Govt' Mule to any railroad crossing with some space and just offload them. My wife said, "but wouldn't that be illegal dumping and get in trouble?" My answer was, who's going to question me in the Gov't Mule, a safety vest and boots for dropping off, not taking ties? Even if a railroad worker approached me my answer would be, "this is what the boss told me but if I'm not gonna leave them, I'm gonna need to make a phone call first!" After all, the railroad is a mega corp. Do you think any one guy really knows what's supposed to happen more than just what his own work order is?
This is what scares me when hanging out with John, it feels like you're in a Farris bueller movie and I'm one wrong answer away from a night in county.
I was amazed a few years back when this video clip came out. I had never really thought about it but Ferris was not real and Cameron likely never even got out of bed that day. Certainly, he never left the house. His mind just wandered. It's even possible that he wasn't a rich kid with a Ferrari(ish) in the garage but rather just some broken sedan in the driveway.
Back to container talk...
Some things are best to come out of our garage to make room for some more everyday things to be placed in our garage. So, that was my focus for tonight. Also some of my things that I could move by myself with no need for consultation...ha.
So tonight I loaded into the back of the box:
20 tires, some mounted and some not, mostly winter tire combos. Also another 12 wheels with no tires. Then 3 major body panels from assorted cars and project leftovers. Some other small stuff but not too much.
In reply to John Welsh :
Time for some pallet racks , using that "air space" from 5 ft off the ground to the roof is the best way to max out the space....
or just use the RR ties !
