Space solutions ...........

[Harter66]

I'm facing an move I don't want to make ....... Alas as an only it is time for me to give back the 18 yr up keep .........

I've been reading many threads about space issues ranging from I have too many presses to I noticed that a corner of my shed looked like it was sagging some .

Fortunately I only have about a ton of lead in ingots and 5-600# of shot to deal with . Among the options I've explored are a custom built portable building 102" outside 16-24 ft long ......wind drag , hight issues , 5 states .....not a good solution for me .

I could set all of my stuff up in a shipping container . Which is a pretty good option actually . Welded angle for bench platforms , hard wood floors , actually a pretty sound and secure solution . Lockable doors , water tight or able to make it water tight . Add a little R Max a false wall inside the doors and a breaker box and a guy is hooked up with 40+ feet of usable benches and shelves and/or cabinets the down side is that the empty steel can weighs 5,000# and the average Joe runs out of truck and trailer pretty fast . If you have the means to get it on a big truck or buy a chassis to go with it you can put 25,000# of stuff in it and have some wiggle room . Commercial trucking can get it hauled for about $250 pick-up and $1.25-2.00 a mile .

A guy could buy a run out freight trailer and get all of the shipping container perks of the false wall , secure doors and weather seal without the need to pick it up or set it off . Weight restrictions can be a small hassle but on a 28' van you get 13-15,000# to work with and 38,000 in a 48 or 53' van . Bonus points for a spent refer van . You loose about 4" across the width and 1,000 of capacity but it has r30 insulation on all 6 sides . Who couldn't put 25 ft of eye level cabinets , benches and 9ft floor to ceiling shelves to work . Extra points , if you manage to keep it under 16,000 lbs there are 5th wheel set ups and dolly set ups for you to move it yourself with a 1 ton pickup .

The last is most likely where I'm going .

Snag a cheap camp trailer with a good roof .
Seal that sucker up with Sno-coat and fiberglass cloth on the roof . Replace damaged windows with plexiglass or better yet lexan .
In most cases you get the ability to have 18-20 ft of benches in a 16' unit . You get a fridge , heater , 2-4 burner stove and an oven . 15-20 amps of power for your pots and basic lighting . Maybe even a cooler and hot/cold water and a throne . Most 2 axle travel trailers are rated at 7,000 lbs and with a little sense will haul 8,000 gross . The perks are that set on a couple of leveled pier blocks on each end it's rock solid . It's reasonably secure , warm/cool , and not to difficult to build solid stable benches into .
The part that cuts both ways is that it can be just hooked on to and moved as needed which means that an uninvited person or persons could also move it . Another advantage is that it's only 1 or 2 steps up and down vs the freight trailer at 4ft up .

While these are mobile solutions for me to move and stay mostly set up ,the guy with only 5x8x2' could have a whole loading and casting room set up for as little as $500 . For the guy trapped in a city apartment with a spare stall or extra parking it might work out even better . When the move time comes , hook and haul .

[cwheel]

Hi Harter 66, You considering going with some sort of a mobile setup it sounds like ?? Thinking about moving out of there ?? Lake sure is starting to look good over there now with all of the water. Best of luck what ever you are doing.
Chris

[Harter66]

11 ft since New Year's !

Packing up for the big move ......... I'm gonna melt and wash away in the wet country or AR .

[samari46]

Don't know if they still do it, but remember seeing 20' long shipping containers. Seen a few that were converted to mobile construction offices. When the job was done hoist up on a flatbed trailer and on to the next job. Even saw a couple that had been cut down to 10' footers. Had one company locally that sold them in 40,20 and 10' but guess the market had gone flat as they aren't at that location anymore. Frank

[ulav8r]

If you convert a trailer, figure out a way to remove the hitch so it can't be towed at short notice by anyone else.

[Any Cal.]

You could set up on a mobile home frame. Then set it up when it gets where it is going. The axles and tongue are removable, and there are movers everywhere.

[Grmps]

If you got a 20 ft shipping container, you could have 40 ft of bench, easily movable secure structure.
in my area they come in 40, 30, and 20 ft

[Three44s]

It does not take much bench but sure takes a world of storage in my opinion.

Good luck on your endeavor!

Three44s

[Sasquatch-1]

Not to be a smart@$$, but let me get this straight, you are considering a shipping container with no windows or ventilation in the middle of the South West. Are you planning on baking bread in it? I have never been it that area, but I would think you would definitely need some sort of air conditioning.

I think I would go with the travel trailer and try and make it as secure as possible.

[Harter66]

My move will take me from the high desert west where bearing grease drys out only a little slower that tires cook off the wheels and where changing the spare tire out every 5 yr ensures it will still have a side wall if you need it to the comparitive rain forest 90 miles north of Texarkana .

The other options would of course have to have power , heat and cooling added . I have purchased a tight dry single axle 1969 travel trailer that everything works in that needs some glass . I had considered a locked coupler but now I'm wondering if maybe drilling for bolts and cutting the welds so as to remove it all together once parked isn't a plan . No cooling at this point but 4.2 gallons of propane will run the heater and fridge about 20 days at 18-35° .

[Paper Puncher]

Watch how much weight you add to that trailer. Everything used for reloading seems to be heavy and weight can quickly add up. Last thing you want is to be on the side of the road with a broken axle on a trailer full of reloading stuff.

You are going to have to deal with humidity in your new location. Air conditioning/dehumidifier .... lots of threads about dealing with it.

Your trailer probably has very little insulation so unless temperature is controlled some how you can expect large temperature swings. Probably not good for powder and primers.

For security at your new place I would just block the trailer and remove the tires. Add one of the better hitch locks and you have slowed down most of the thieves to the point there are easier pickings.

Will you be able to park the trailer at your new digs? Some places have ordinances about campers.

Keep us posted as your project progresses.

[Harter66]

We hauled commercial firewood for several years ..... Painfully aware of tire and axle limits . I don't expect to have to manage the 0°-110° degree swings in western AR present in central NV . Yes it's pretty thin on insulation but it is a very small space . No rules here or in Mena that I'm aware of as of now . I may have to keep it licensed but that's a minor consideration . Even if it costs $150/yr to keep dry and licensed thats pretty cheap space for $5-6000 in tools at retail replacement values .

I'm metaphorically sweating bullets about the tools . I have bare steel posts on my stake truck at work and hand contact has kept the rust at bay for 7 yr . I swear my Hawken patina darkened 3 shades in the 6 weeks I stayed a couple of years ago ...... I have a good safe , ok Cannon promised that it's won't leak too much water in a natural flood , so hopefully I can get by with a few desicant cans an a Golden rod . The intended location seems to do well with generous air flow and good roofs so here's to a window A/C and mostly tight seals . 60-80 degree heat and cool should hold most of it at bay with a suitable dehumidifier when the A/C isn't pulling water out .

My hopes are that we won't need that space too long and we will have a spare room/half a garage to occupy directly . We missed a place 3 weeks ago by 15 minutes and $500 , I have 9 months to go so it's not like we are in a big squeeze .

[ulav8r]

Compare registration costs and rules between AR and NV, there may or may not be much difference.

[Harter66]

About $40 /yr here my folks have I think permanent plates on all the trailers (4 ,1 a 35' 5thwheel ) that and the 3 driver's cost them about $90/yr , but another 100 or so on their personal property tax ........ Comes out pretty close for the trailers but the cars and trucks are a lot cheaper .

[izzyjoe]

Welcome to AR, you ain't to far me!

[Harter66]

9-10 months yet . House shopping is under way , if all else fails we'll have a house raising for a month !

I figure on 1600 sqft the gun room shouldn't need more than 4-500 sqft .

[jmorris]

I have several 40' containers I use for storage, this time of year it's not uncommon for them to reach 120 deg F inside. I wouldn't want to work in one and understand why people die in them sneaking across the border that way.

I have a roll up door in one opposite the normal doors that allows air flow when I end to be in it, makes it much better than normal.

[Harter66]

We worked several yr ago outside air was 104 . 20' vans with the end doors open were were 140 in free air on the shade side and 180 plus at the back wall on the sun side . Foaming every rib inside and out is the only way for me .

[BigEyeBob]

Friiend has a 20' shipping container as his gun room /reloading room , loading bench is across the end opposite the doors , his gun safes are along one wall and has storage shelves above the loading bench for supplies. Opposite wall to the gun safes is all shelving. Its airconditioned and has a fridge and coffee making stuff.
I asked him if he ever thought about adding one on top for a bedroom . People have been coverting shipping containers here in Oz to living quarters for a number of years. stacked and joined in different ways they make decent digs.