I know that a lot of you guys (van dwellers) don't have storage units to store any excess stuff. But if started to live in a van/RV, I would have to have a storage unit to keep some important papers, books, bicycles, etc. <br><br>What size storage unit do you have?<br><br>Do you even have a storage unit?<br><br>Are you going to be getting rid of the stuff in storage?<br><br>John
How many of you guys are renting storage units? How big?
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10' x 15' at pubic storage cost is $126 per month with insurance. Yes, it is big enough. I have a shop full of mid sized tools/equipment. The key is to go up, just like real estate in the city, they build skyscrapers.<br><br>Things I have done and recommend.<br><br>1) Label all totes top and one side with a piece of duct tape and sharpie. Easy to find what you want. <br>2) Use a shelf system if you can afford them. <br>3) Leave a walking path from front to back about 18"-24" wide.<br>4) Put most used items in the front.<br>5) Get on an automated payment system.<br>6) Get insurance it is cheap.<br>7) Don't use cardboard boxes bigger than a USPS large flat rate. Get them free at the post office and store them on the shelf systems. Labeled of course.<br>8) Have it centrally located within your most travelled area if you use it often. <br><br><br>The things I have in the unit are seasonal, IE my traps that I use during trapping season, fishing stuff I use for various types of fishing through the year, tools I use for jobs/repairs etc. <br><br>I have thought of renting a small shop to work out of. This would add an expense, but would cut out the unit. It is a toss up for me and kind of an anchor too.<br><br><br>
No storage unit. I do have two totes full of 43 years of family photos that just won't fit in my van and are too heavy for the Teeny TT (I can carry tools or photos...). When I thought about it, I realized nobody ever looks at them and I have been dragging them around for years. So I informed my offspring, who had said they didn't have a place to keep them, that I was going to keep a few and ditch the rest. They then decided they'd divide them between themselves. Hehe. Works for me!
No storage unit. I do have two totes full of 43 years of family photos that just won't fit in my van and are too heavy for the Teeny TT (I can carry tools or photos...). When I thought about it, I realized nobody ever looks at them and I have been dragging them around for years. So I informed my offspring, who had said they didn't have a place to keep them, that I was going to keep a few and ditch the rest. They then decided they'd divide them between themselves. Hehe. Works for me!
And RJC, ummm..."pubic storage"??? Lol!
And RJC, ummm..."pubic storage"??? Lol!
I just rented a 10x10 storage unit to keep what I can't get rid of in. $49. a month, including insurance but I will only need it until my daughter moves back north in September or October. She will be taking everything with her and will become "keeper of the antiques".
i rent a 10x10 with a local extra space until i get a cargo trailer and configure it. its 150+ per month with insurance.<br><br>to park a trailer with 24hr access is like 80.<br><br>ironically, i worked in the storage business (for diff company) as a senior manager for 8 years until some asshat investor decided to screw me...lost my job in aug 2012. fortunately i was already vandwelling. the first 5 years i had a company provided apartment though. that was nice.<br><br>id like to work again in the industry. i really like it.<br><br>
I've done the storage thing, as an emergency measure, and it was pretty cheap at that time: $20. Now, at $50+ I'd rather just buy a small utility trailer and drag it behind me if I don't have enuf room. 'Sides, I'm all over the place and needing something that's 300 miles away in a storage locker is the same as not having it. I learned that the hard way when my alternator crapped out and my spare was 150 m away, over the Cascades at my parent's place. THAT was a $250 SNAFU. ..Willy.
Van-Tramp
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I have a storage space for my extra car. Everything else I own (which is not much) is with me in my van.
dfunkt
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I just purchased a 7x14 trailer and will be parking it at a friend's place. He was willing to let me park it for free, but I decided to give him a token of appreciation so we are splitting on a tandem load of gravel to top coat his driveway.
I rent a 5x12 unit for $55/mo. to store my motorcycles and some other misc. stuff. Depending on the season, I will swap vehicles and take off on the m.c. and store the van. Outside storage for it used to be only $30/mo. but the place has new owners so now it's $55/mo. If the van breaks down I will always have backup transportation. If the bike breaks down I can go fetch it with the van.
wrcsixeight
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I got my first storage unit in '98 when I went travelling overseas.<br><br>Basically most of that stuff has been in a storage unit ever since, and the rent I've paid far exceeds the value of the items within.<br><br>It is a 5x10 stuffed to the gills. Rent is now up to 72 a month from the 50 is started at in '03<br><br>I'd like to get an enclosed trailer, actually I'd like to get rid of 80% of the contents, but I've paid so much to store them over the years, it is a catch-22
caseyc
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In my neck of the woods, storage space is rather expensive, even for a small space. I don't know what's worse, paying up to $200 monthly to store furniture for many months, or having to buy new furniture again at full retail? I normally just give away my large items like furniture to friends and family, and simply buy new again if or when the need arises. As for books and papers, that's pretty much unnecessary to store in my opinion. Papers can be scanned for the most part. Books are in digital format nowadays. Plus books and papers get all messed up with mildew over time from my experience, not to mention all the weight. Buy a decent portable scanner for the papers and documents that are important. Just as important, buy a decent shredder for all the papers that don't require storing. I literally went through 4 different shreadders at office supply stores before settling on a heavy duty one that can shred at least 25 pages at a time. The smaller shredders break down too quickly and get jammed up beyond repair. Nowadays, I barely store any paper documents, other than 3 to 4 years of tax returns, and some current store receipts in case of refund. I hardly have any books in my possession nowadays. Instead, I have gazillions of PDF and Word documents for articles and manuals stored in my smartphone and external storage drives. About 6 or 7 years ago, I went on a huge binge to declutter my life and literally trashed many hundreds and hundreds of pounds of stuff that was cluttering my closets. I will never go back to that again. Less is better in this regard. Good luck to you!
dfunkt
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If you can afford it, the beauty of a trailer is it doubles as a workshop. About 80% of the contents will be my tools and if I ever need to make some cash I just have to pick up the trailer and do a few reno jobs. Unlike a storage locker, if I ever decide to sell off the tools or find them a permanent home I have options with a trailer; it's money invested instead of wasted.
wagoneer
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How about guys/gals, I am that.
dfunkt
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">I bought one like this: </span><a style="line-height: 16px;" href="http://www.trailersuperstore.com/tr...-x-14-v-nose-enclosed-cargo-trailer-ramp-door" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.trailersuperstore.com/tr...-x-14-v-nose-enclosed-cargo-trailer-ramp-door</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> except mine has barn doors, 6'6" ceiling height and a few other upgrades.</span>
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