Storage ideas

You may have read that I'm shopping for a moving trailer (like a Mayflower or Allied van). Right now, I can't come up with the cash to snag one, but I have a storage snafu that needs attention.

I am storing my divorce stuff in a neighbor's barn. The neighbor just put her house on the market, so I'll be losing that space relatively soon. Acreage isn't an issue; my parents have plenty of open space.

I was thinking about buying a shipping container instead of using a rental/u-store facility. I figure that X number of months would pay for just buying a container.

• where does one buy a 40' container? I'm finding lots of them for $4000 in premium condition, but I'm thinking more like $1000 in crappy shape.
• any other ideas for something to buy/rent that might fit the bill?

$4k will buy a used box truck or school bus around here without much looking. Then you don't have to pay someone else to move it if something comes up, which is nice.

My dad bought an old moving truck, kept the box and sold the truck with a flatbed and sleeper for what he paid for the truck. I tossed the box on a 4-wheel farm wagon chassis and my mom uses it for storage.

Office trailers are cheap too, and offer similar portability.

Looks like they can be found: http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-40-ft-steel-cargo-shipping-storage-container-Houston-Texas-/331164059898?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d1aea88fa But how much to deliver? I wouldn't mind making a quick vehcile storage unit out of it later if I were you.

I typed 'shipping container' into the 'all for sale' search of my local craigslist. I got a lot of hits, most below for $4k.

What are you storing? Maybe it's time to put some stuff up on craigslist/donate it.

I figured that renting a storage unit is $100-120/mo. So, if I find a box to buy for under $1500 it would pay for itself in a year and still have value.

I remember I could buy them in Los Angeles for $800 a few years ago. I wonder what happened. Cheapest one I've found around here is $3750 for a 20-footer.

Enyar wrote: What are you storing? Maybe it's time to put some stuff up on craigslist/donate it.

All of the shop equipment and tools that I have amassed over the years. Not selling it. It took me forever to chip away at these investments and I don't want to start from scratch.

It's probably a location thing. With all the Chinese stuff coming into LA, they have more than a few extra containers floating around so the prices are pretty reasonable. Pittsburgh isn't exactly a overseas major port.

curtis73 wrote: I remember I could buy them in Los Angeles for $800 a few years ago. I wonder what happened. Cheapest one I've found around here is $3750 for a 20-footer.

Probably has more to do with the ports in LA vs. landlocked in Carlisle.

What about an enclosed roll-off dumpster? I think they are more or less the same thing as the shipping container, but a little smaller. Not sure what they are going for.

Edit: Toyman beat me to it.

How much space are we talking about? Build a storage shed on your parents' property?

10 x 20 is $250. Buy as many as you need, but put some pallets down first. Costco often has a large fabric car port for a few hundred.

I am divorced, so I have to ask, why are you storing anything? She is going to take it all anyway.

Under $100

Its annoying space. Its an engine hoist, engine stand, band saw, drill press, roto-tiller, tractor...

Its would be one thing if it were a bunch of stackable boxes, but its very oddly shaped stuff. I could sell it and re-buy later, but two things prevent me from doing that; 1) I don't think it will be a year until I have my own place at which point I'll be wishing I still had it all, and 2) All of this stuff was purchased over decades when I found deals on them cheap. They're good tools that I got at auction sales, CL, estate sales, etc. To sell them wouldn't bring a ton of cash, and to replace them would be a hundred times more expensive than how I procured them.

Its like if you buy a cherry Miata for a screaming deal, its not like you can sell it and get something just as good a year later. It makes more sense to hang on to it.

So, to answer your question... it has all fit rather nicely (and still able to access individual things without unloading it all) in a 8x40 shipping container, so 320 sq ft should do the trick. Building a 16x20 storage shed wouldn't be really cheap. I did have a 10x17 tarp garage in Pittsburgh, but that was a no-go for storage. Everything in it is coated with mildew, infested with mice, and basically damaged. Thank goodness a nice breeze turned it into scrap metal for me.

pinchvalve wrote: 10 x 20 is $250. Buy as many as you need, but put some pallets down first. Costco often has a large fabric car port for a few hundred.

See my above post... I was so happy when a strong wind destroyed my tarp garage. It was $149 from HF. In the span of October to March, it did more damage to my things than I care to remember. Everything in it was covered with mildew. The paint on my motorcycle had to be scrubbed hard and the vinyl seat is pretty much wasted. The paint on my very cherished 73 Bolens tractor with low hours is ruined - mildew soaked into it and I can't even wet sand it out without taking all the paint off. I had about 300 board feet of rare wormy chestnut lumber in there and its ruined.

So, thanks, but no thanks. Never again.

Beware that crappy shape lets in water, which starts the mildew you already don't like.

There is also the business of renting/buying semi trailers.

Might also want to make sure your folk won't have any zoning problems with things like containers/trailers/busses on their property.

Sometimes a u-store it just ain't a bad route to go, what with their raised concrete floors and lack of drama. Especially since at the end you're done, and not stuck with a container or dead bus you're trying to sell or dispose of.

https://www.iaai.com/Home/Default

Could be a way to find a cheap box truck. My dad bought a dead box truck for his shop and used it as locking storage for tire casings. Cut the frame off at the front of the box and yanked the rear axle off. Worked great.

Shipping containers are going up in price because of a few other reasons as well:

1: Shipping container homes and offices being built

2: DIY Pods storage (like you are doing)

3: Clean steel scrapping was paying more than selling sub $2000 boxes. A few years ago and depending on weight a cut down container was bringing good $2500 with a $750 investment, now it has reversed because scrap steel dropped and rough boxes are not as common.

foxtrapper wrote: Beware that crappy shape lets in water, which starts the mildew you already don't like.

True, but I can fix a leak. I can't fix 320 sq ft of dirt.

Might also want to make sure your folk won't have any zoning problems with things like containers/trailers/busses on their property.

Already looked into it. If it is visible from the road AND it is a vehicle or trailer, it must be registered. If it is not a vehicle or not visible from the road, no worries. For instance, my rust-pile 65 Scout was stored in the field for 10 years. Not visible, no worries. There are 9 acres here and only about 1 acre is visible from the road.

Hmm... it just occurred to me... didn't you recently sell a big box truck? I know... you did that long before the recent snafu with the wife happened.

Anyway, I ran into a similar issue: I needed winter storage for my GT6 and Mini while I worked on my TDI in the garage. So I bought one of these:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200411388_200411388

Chosen mainly for the 13' width so I could fit the two cars in side by side. After 2 years, the cover wore a few holes, so I covered it with a H-F tarp, but it's been rock-solid otherwise. I moved everything out of my 6x8 shed that's been falling apart as well. The shed ws already infested with mice, so that wasn't a concern. I took some precautions with the cars which seems to have worked to keep them out (steel wool in the tail pipes, dryer sheets scattered about the interior and engine bay). The cars exited the shelter pretty much in the same condition they went in. While they stayed out of the weather, there is enough air-flow to keep mildew at bay. I built a plywood platform to keep the cars and stuff off the dirt.

I try to apply Occam's Razor to as many problems as possible: the simplest solution is usually the best.

In this case, I think the simplest solution is renting a storage place. You don't have to figure out how to transport it to your parents' yard, you don't have to worry about leaking, you don't have to worry about mildew, etc. Plus it sounds like you're not finding any trailers anywhere near your price point. (And if you do, would they be leaky? That would take even more time/effort/money to fix.)

And if you pay up front at the storage place for a year, you might be able to get a discount.

Sky_Render wrote: I try to apply Occam's Razor to as many problems as possible: the simplest solution is usually the best.

Stupid Occam. Always foiling my plans

I agree - a storage facility is an option. It is however hard to compare at-home 24/7 storage to 6am - 10pm storage that is 5 miles away.

but you're right. It is the simplest solution - just not the most appealing.

Ian F wrote: Hmm... it just occurred to me... didn't you recently sell a big box truck? I know... you did that long before the recent snafu with the wife happened.

Yeah, about 3 years ago. That would be nice to have now.

I just got in contact with an old friend who has a bus company (school/charter). He's going to poke around and see if there are any old buses he can sell me. In PA, a bus can only be used for regular daily school routes for 10 years. You can keep it as a spare for an additional 5, but then it can't be used for school after that.

That tends to make used PA school buses cheap to buy since supply is high and demand is low. Not ideal, but a possibility.

Will the school bus already have the seats removed? Because otherwise that sounds like a lot of work!

How far are you willing to haul it?

I buy them from:

Cowart and Sons

229-247-6466

229-245-0205

They are reasonably priced- varies on condition. Always have several hundred in stock.

The problem is they are in ValDosta, GA. The trucking to Pittsburgh would probably offset the savings.

I don't know the details on how to buy a bus, but I go up to the 422 auction every now and again - mainly to people watch on the auto side. Busses do seem to go cheap. Auction tomorrow in fact:

422 auto auction