Storing compact TLB on trailer

newbury · May 15, 2016

iam2sam said:
I've built a number of tarp over galvanized tube frame canopies and shelters on my own. They are very inexpensive and work well (I've got a 12 x 18' example here at home as a zoning and permit exempt adjunct to my hard shed) but my experience is that they need more attention than I would be able to provide at my remote site. Tarps need monitoring for rain sag and occasional changing, snow needs to be knocked off, bungies sometimes come loose, etc. My site gets a lot of rain and wind, so I'd be concerned about a failure while I'm away.

Yes tarps need monitoring, but the shelter logic I bought was < $300 and well built.

iam2sam said:
Yes, I've been given some very good information, thanks to all! I am going to look into a shipping container provider in SW Virginia (Roanoke-Christiansburg-Blacksburg-Pearisburg) who can provide delivery. I might even go for 2 of those if a provider can give me an attractive "2-fer" price. Anyone have a recomendation? <snip>

If you get two consider spacing them so you can put some trusses on their roofs and make a big enclosure.

newbury · May 16, 2016

Just stumbled across a 20' shelter at an auction in Norfolk.
You might be able to winch it onto your trailer and drive it home (after strapping it down).

/edit - and they have another one!

iam2sam · May 23, 2016

I'm having quite a bit of difficulty locating a container provider anywhere near my land. I've sent inquiries to containeralliance.com and corkd.com. Neither has replied, and I'm not getting warm fuzzies about the integrity of either one (Corkd hs a pop-up in the midst of submitting the quote request that claims a shortage in containers for purchase, and suggests renting; I strongly suspect bait and switch tactics there). Craigslist offers no real help - most advertisers are 300 or more miles away and I anticipate the delivery charges would be more than I'm willing to pay. For the record, my land is about 27 miles NW of Christiansburg, VA, about 14 miles from Newport off VA 460. I'm not all that trustful of EBay for this kind of transaction, but may need to give it a try. Any other suggestions?

iam2sam · May 23, 2016

Good pricing, and thanks, but I am about 350 miles W of Norfolk, and my trailer is not capable of carrying a 20' container.

iam2sam · May 20, 2021

Long delayed (5 years, sorry!) follow-up: I did get 2-20 ft containers in "weather-tight" condition delivered 2 years ago. This was by the second vendor I contacted. He had an F550 4x4 with a major diesel towing a self-unloading trailer, and he barely made it up after dropping one of the containers at the bottom, which he had to go back down for. The first guy drove 80 miles to me with the containers (after I had described the grade and road surface to him in great detail) and sat at the base of my steep incline, staring at it, for about 20 minutes. When I finally walked down to talk to him, he just shook his head and said "no way". Anyway, the containers have done well. I did have a porky (I think that's what it was) chew a hole through the wooden floor (I initially assumed that shipping containers were steel on all 6 sides, but that isn't so) but I screwed down some 24" wide trim coil left over from what I had bought to squirrel-proof the T-111 siding on my cabin, and have not had a problem in the year since I did that. Ironically, my Terramite is still not down at the property, working to get that done (again) now...

3Ts · May 21, 2021

Thanks for the follow-up. Always appreciate hearing how things turn out and it provides guidance for the rest of us.

Henro · May 21, 2021

iam2sam said:
Anyway, the containers have done well. I did have a porky (I think that's what it was) chew a hole through the wooden floor (I initially assumed that shipping containers were steel on all 6 sides, but that isn't so) ...

is this the norm? I’ve only been in a few shipping containers but those ones had metal floors as well as sides and roof and doors…

iam2sam · Aug 19, 2021

Henro said:
is this the norm? I’ve only been in a few shipping containers but those ones had metal floors as well as sides and roof and doors…

Seems to be so:

"Most often, shipping container floors are one inch marine plywood made from tropical hardwood such as Keruing or Apitong. These types of hardwoods unfortunately attract pests of all sorts."

Shipping Container Flooring and Pesticides - Discover Containers

Learn about the chemical pesticide treatments used on shipping container floors and what you need to do to stay safe inside of a cargo home.

www.discovercontainers.com

Now, I will say that I initially thought my floors were steel. The container walls make a 90-deg bend at the bottom to form a ledge for mounting the plywood. I had assumed that the steel wrapped around to the far side, and the wood sat on solid steel, but that proved not to be the case...