Making a house out of a container

[APX808]

Hey guys, I want to share with you a post that went viral here in Argentina.

Some guy posted a ton of pictures of him and his girlfriend making a house out of a cargo container.
The post is in Spanish, but it doesn't say much anyway, what is fun is to see the pictures, and how he built the house by himself without previous experience in construction.

The link is picture intensive. Check it at:

http://www.taringa.net/posts/hazlo-tu-mismo/17170943/Como-construi-integramente-mi-Casa-Container.html

[Well-Prepared Witch]

Cool!  I'll have to share this with Mr. WPW. This was one of the things he'd talked about when we were planning our house out. (Note, I said "he" - I am far too traditional and wanted a house! )

[crudos]

Thanks for sharing that APX. Definitely food for thought.

[JohnyMac]

I have been looking for a container and as of this writing I have not been successful. I have googled the subject but what comes up really doesn't help me price out and then plan for one.

Any suggestions?

[crudos]

JM, I Googled, "shipping container pennsylvania" and looks like it came up with some companies that sell them.

[APX808]

The Argentinian guy says he looked for one at our local EBay, but then finished up buying one that was laying around in his city.
If you have a port area nearby you could go there to investigate.

[JohnyMac]

Yes Crudos you are correct however they want all types of info before they will give you a price. I just want a general price by size to see what I am getting into. I did give info to one company and a used car salesman called me again and again and would never give me a price range. 

[sledge]

I have been looking for a container and as of this writing I have not been successful. I have googled the subject but what comes up really doesn't help me price out and then plan for one.

Any suggestions?

JM try Ebay.  I was looking at them awhile back.  They have all sizes available.

[thatGuy]

Come on now JMac, you want us to believe that old West Marine Johny got the hose on a cold call?

If that is what you are selling, I'm not buying.

Go out there and get 'em tiger!

[JohnyMac]

Thx Sledge...I will. 

TG, you are too funny! To be honest with you I hate "used car salesman" - In person or via phone! However, (As you eluded to in your response) my heart isn't into it.

Nothing but nothing gets in the way of what MrsMac and I want/need. 

I will renew my efforts 

[cj06]

Out in Az a 40' container has been around $4000.00 delivered!
And the 20' ones have been 2500.00 - 3000.00!
i have been told that the increase in price has to do with price
Of scrap steel !

[james@thedawsprojects.com]

I just bought a 40 foot container for $2500.  I think the prices are lower in port cities; I'm in Los Angeles.

[crudos]

I just bought a 40 foot container for $2500.  I think the prices are lower in port cities; I'm in Los Angeles.

Not a bad deal. How are you going to utilize it?

[graynomad]

Old thread but as the last question remains unanswered...

I've got 3 20-footers and will get a 4th soon I think. I'm currently in the process of converting two of them into somewhere we can live in. Bedroom and lounge room in one, kitchen and bathroom in the other, a covered and enclosed area between the two. The following photo is the state as of today, I just got the roof frame finished before beer o'clock.



It will not look very flash, in fact it's supposed to look rough and little more than just two containers.

Where I am a "new build" or "one time use" 20-foot container costs $4000, about $700 cheaper if you live in the city. 40 foot doesn't actually cost much more but in my case is not suitable.

[thatGuy]

There is so much in this photo I wanna talk about!

How wide is the tan container on the left? It's it really wider or is that just perspective?

[graynomad]

There is so much in this photo I wanna talk about!

I'm happy to yak about this or anything else. We've been living under a tarp and/or in a truck for 15 years and will decant ourselves into the containers when they are finished. So I know a fair bit about this sort of off-grid living.

That's just perspective caused by the 17mm lens, they are all the standard width as I don't think there are any options in that regard. You can get higher but ours are standard height as well.

[Burt Gummer]

Not trying to derail the thread here, but you've peaked my interest with that ride of yours.
Looks like a standard truck body with an aftermarket bed and cover, but the wheel appears to be disproportionally close to the cab in order to accommodate a full bed.
I bet it has a good story.

[graynomad]

It's a standard 75 series diesel Landcruiser with an 8-foot tray and fibreglass canopy.



I'll be stripping it to make a camper in a year or so.

http://robgray.com/graynomad/gov/index.php

[Burt Gummer]

It appears that the trucks as well as the critters have evolved to survive on your continent.

I'm currently on the hunt for my own diesel and your example is preventing me from lowering my standards, thank you.
Your intended replacement is impressive too. And you designed the whole thing on CAD with every little detail.
If i'd be wearing a hat I'd tip it too ya.

[graynomad]

your example is preventing me from lowering my standards

Good to know I've been of some use

I like to do as much as possible with CAD, I still change things when building but at least I have a plan. The detail you can work with is great and you can hide/show layers to see what fits.


Walls and roof removed.


Just showing subframe and power components.


Closeup of power bits in slide out frame, inverter, solar reg, DC/DC converter and LiFePo4 batteries.


Vehicle chassis and three-point mounting system.

I use Sketchup, not a full-blown CAD package but free and very good.

[crudos]

Outdamnstanding graynomad! 

Welcome to the board, btw.

[thatGuy]

Good God Gray! I can't even draw a 2"x6" in sketchup! You are a talented man for sure!

So back on track, how do you plan to insulate those sea cans? I ask because we use them as tool lockups in construction and to date all the attempts I've seen at insulating them were complete hack jobs except one where we did it my way.. Let the posting of Sinatra pick commence, lol.

[Burt Gummer]

So the structure is independent from the frame and has a certain amount of "play"? is what I gather from your 3 point system.
I'm imagining this decreasing the force acted upon the structure during transportation, I doubt this would help out any passengers but it would save the mounting bolts and their seats in the long run. (not an engineer just build stuff designed to withstand crummy roads.)

[JohnyMac]

We have two threads going here but we are all smart enough to keep them going on this subject line.

TG, we finally got our container. We bought it from a local company going out of business for $1,000-. To have it shipped to the redoubt it cost us a case of beer and $100-. The beer was used figuring out how to get it off the trailer  We finally pushed it off using a backhoe and rolled in side over side till we got it approximately where it will end up.  There is nothing better than mixing alcohol and big machinery you know. 

The plan is to bury it in the side of a large knoll near the cabin. It will be completely covered with earth except for the front doors. Over the door end of the container there will be a "ships peak" roof for extra protection. The container will have a intake and outtake 4" pvc pipe that will be baffled to prevent rain/snow from coming into the container via the pipe.

The goal is to use the container for "root cellar" storage in the winter with the hope that the temp will not go below 35 degrees F in the deepest freeze of the winter which was about -10 degrees F last winter.

In the summer we may rent it out to some illegal South American children.   

[thatGuy]

DO NOT BURY THAT SEACAN.




Fixed link. ~ s-k

You're gonna have a bad time.