Living in a Shipping Container...

S

Scenic WonderRunner

Guest
I've always liked this Side Cut Look.

9251_3_468.jpeg



I can see many of these connected together, including stacked and cut into my hillside on 40 acres in Northern Arizona. You could have inside stairways to connect each one.

Then when you are ready to leave, your hydraulics automatically close up all the sides nice and tight. All southwest facing.

Somebody would need a blow torch to get in!


Perfect!....:costumed-smiley-007





.
 
trump

trump

Adventurist
jeepdreamer said:
Trump. I figured you ment it as a joke. Sorry if my reply seemed like it was gruff...didn't mean it that way.
And your also correct on most of your other points. I had only glanced at the "new model photos" in the linky and was a little (still am, haha) lacking for sleep. In effect they do load and unload themselves...in typical PLS fashion...extend the hook and there you go. Wonder what that would do to the furniture and stuff in the fridge!:Wow1: hahaha...Not to mention the blackwater! Oh MY! LOL
How funny would it be to get two containers, mount one one the truck and the other on the ISO trailer...park them side by side and have a deck between them. Instant house part 2!:elkgrin:
Click to expand...

No worries... just wanted to make sure you knew I was kidding. Yeah the PLS would be a cool way to get one in though. Like you noticed already, everything would have to be bolted down. :sombrero:
 
J

jeepdreamer

Expedition Leader
Scenic WonderRunner said:
I like this stuff!

I found this fun story tonight.

http://earthsci.org/education/fieldsk/container/container.html

45_shadeshed_s.jpg



.
Click to expand...

Scenic...From what I can tell there appears to be sorta 3 seperate "camps" when it comes to living in one of these metal monsters.
-the tree hugger...Those folks that are attempting to make some sort of eco-impact by reducing carbon and being off grid and eating tofu... JK. I poke a lot of fun at these folks but I don't mean it in a hurtful way. If thats your thing then great...its just not mine.:elkgrin:
-the Statement makers...These are groups within groups..Lots of designers and artists and folks that just like to look different from the norm...whatever that is? This can cover the spectrum from the simple to the ostintatious. From basic single or multiple "industrial" looking homes to strange, opposing angle structures more modern art than dwelling..
-Then there are the El Cheapos...That's kinda my group. Those of us that have watched the economy swirling the drain. Hoping to secure a happy domicile without entering indentured servatude and find some way to blend the basic comforts of modern day living (basic...as in not in excess or trendy?) with the value of history. Remember when folks built their OWN homes? ok...not real likely. But do you remember when people would own the same car for say...15 years? When a refidgerator was a MAJOR purchase and was intended to last longer than the current trend? That is kind of what I am shooting for. I don't want to live in a mud hut...I have evolved a little past that. But why on earth would I be interested in borrowing hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for a cookie cutter house on a 10th of an acre!?!?! That makes NO sense to me...But thats how I am. I'd rather have 20 or 30 ares with my house in the middle.
And I am not out to impress anyone. I have my own style and interests. I kinda dig the log home look, but thats just me. So to that end My container may end up getting container-flaged to appear log cabiny. i don't want to stick out of nature like a neon plastic flamingo. I want to look like I belong there.
Now before I get someone screaming at me for "dissing" them (do kids still say that?) and their taste or style...Please! I am not! Live how you wish. Have a house that looks just as you want it to....Its your life...live it how you choose. I plan to do mine that way...:sombrero:
 
J

jeepdreamer

Expedition Leader
Scenic WonderRunner said:
There are many ways to do it. My quote was just one example.


This one cost way too much, but I like it! Just figure out how to do it cheaper!

I love the freedom of idea's with containers!

And Hey! There's your log sides! Dude Sweet!

.
Click to expand...

Cost is of course a matter of perspective. What is "cheap or affordable" to one is nothing or maybe everything to another.?.
I am one of those that prefers to allow my strong back/weak mind to offset the small wallet/low paying career choice..heehee. In other words, if my sweat and labor can save me a few hundred or thousand bucks...Ok!
And while the general idea of using these is for affordable housing options..well, again, that is subjective.
Personally I am hoping that whatever little chunk of land I can acquire will have lots of trees on it. why? *prepares for verbal assault!* Well, like the pioneers of old days..I would (wood?) like to be able to somehow use the ones I clear for the house as a portion of the materials. How? Well, maybe I get one of those portable sawmills and make my own lumber? Maybe I just use a chainsaw (work good. Hard work for no reason bad!) to hue out some timbers for stuff...Maybe I could use the slab sides as part of the siding? I don't know...Just some random ideas...But I like to retain the strength of the ISBU, take advantage of its already "dried in" nature as I build, and in the end finish with a cabin of substance that blends in to the area...Just a dream.
 
H

Hill Bill E.

Oath Keeper
jeepdreamer said:
I would (wood?) like to be able to somehow use the ones I clear for the house as a portion of the materials. How? Well, maybe I get one of those portable sawmills and make my own lumber? Maybe I just use a chainsaw ...Just a dream.
Click to expand...

Dreams can be reality, Jeepdreamer!!

Like this:

cabin005.jpg


More pics here: http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/hillbillecj7/cabin/

All the wood in our cabin came off the land!! (with the exception of the plywood on the roof-we ran out of nice weather and had to button it up)

One could live in a nice modest container house, while prepping and building thier cabin.

You would have to have something, as building this way takes time, a lot of time!

The trees have to be cut, then milled. Once done with the sawmill, they need to cure. If done naturally, it takes 2-3 years.

Then there's building it. If you do it yourself, like my dad and I did ours, and are working full time, it takes awhile:coffeedrink: (6 years to get it from footings to 'shelled in' starting in '79, and just finished the last room last fall. Of course, mydad hand built the kitchen cabinets and all 3 interior doors!)


Anyway, keep the dream alive!! Buy that land with a nice stand of timber, build a container house, then, over time, build your dream cabin!!

Then the container house becomes a studio, workshop, or guesthouse for when the In-Laws visit!!:Wow1:
 
J

jeepdreamer

Expedition Leader
Someone GETS it...

See...HBE understands me...I guess I'm not that nuts! Haha...Yea!
I like it. There are some differences I would do but that is me. The great thing is the pride and contentment of being able to say "I built that"...and it doesn't hurt to say..."And it cost me less than say...One of those froofy coffee latte thingies for a year"...!
Thanks for the motovation and pics. I fully agree about the time and effort. I have a series of thoughts...or dreams. Ideas? Something along those lines...
But my rough intent is to build this in Colorado. Fell in love with the mountains there and decided I will be most happy and content. Its a Jeep Mecca, It still has some real, honest to goodness "wilderness", and it in no way-shape-or for resembles a desert! In an effort to make this do-able, I am hoping to be stationed in Ft. Carson following my next stint in Germany. I can invision "working" during the week and using my holidays and weekends to build on the house. I will have a regular place to stay (military housing), have a paycheck (even if a small one. :) ) and not need much more than some beer and steaks should I require some helpers...haha..
Granted that is a much simplified version of the dream...but it is possible. The lumber is really a hit or miss thing there. Depending on elevation and location, trees may not be very useful for building. But...that is fine too. There is always a...FIREPLACE! LOL! That is maybe the only thing I don't know anything about building. I insist on a real fireplace but I know virtually nothing about how to make it. I can't find any good intel on designing a flue of firebox so I am a little stumped. But there is still ample time to learn.
I do have the fortune of already having much of the expensive "stuff" already.
Through some good fortune I was given about a dozen good sized vyinl windows. They were about a year old and were "take outs" from a builder that had to perform upgrades. Dumbest thing ever but it worked out well for me. Seems homeowners complained the screens rattled when the wind blew..!? So this guy had to replace over 50 HOUSES worth of 1 year old windows...I was luck enough to be given some. Yea!
I also already have the 2 40' High Cube ISBUs. They will serve as storage for my projects and unneeded stuf while in Germany. They may or may not be retained when I get back. I may, depending on the property I find, be forced to looking at 20'ers...Whatever.
ONe nice thing is that working with the ISBUs is very similar to doing fabrication on the jeep. I already have a Mig and plasma cutter. Lots of metal tools and a decent understanding of design meets engineering...So it seems to make good sense. I also have a few woodworking skills too, having worked as a sub contractor for several years.
Now all I need is some land, a well, and some power...Hmm...Govt. auction Generator for me??? heehee
 
MoGas

MoGas

Central Scrutinizer
Ther is one of these being built/assembled in downtown Flagstaff. I hear that it is supposed to be off the grid or something like that. I'll get pics and info.....Stay Tuned.


Dave
 
H

Hill Bill E.

Oath Keeper
MoGas said:
Here are some images of it that I found on the www.


cargocontainerhse2.jpg


Dave
Click to expand...

There's the answer to a 'green' roof, or a veggie garden!!

Maybe the roof won't support it, so add the floor from another container!

They lock right on, and will hold the weight of a garden!:coffeedrink:
 
toy_tek

toy_tek

Adventurer
I was checking out that house in Flag this weekend, its come along a bit more since those pics were taken. I saw them install the first 3 containers last year.

I don't think its "off the grid", I spotted electrical hookup on the west side of the building. But it does have a good selection of solar panels on the roof.

Its a pretty large house, and there is a lot of glass.
 
J

jeepdreamer

Expedition Leader
Hill said:
There's the answer to a 'green' roof, or a veggie garden!!

Maybe the roof won't support it, so add the floor from another container!

They lock right on, and will hold the weight of a garden!:coffeedrink:
Click to expand...

Me thinks you hit the nail right on the head HBE! Cudos! Only flaw would be pressure bowing out and maybe blowing out the sides. Add some top rails and some supports/braces and fill. To easy. Though two other thoughts now arise.
You'd still have to insulate (spray foam) between the two units...no biggie.
Also, you would be nearly "wasting" an entire container for this...hmm...the ideas move my rusty gears...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
188,506
Messages
2,905,987
Members
230,547
Latest member
FiscAnd

Members online

Total: 1,305 (members: 34, guests: 1,271)
Top