Your thoughts on a Container home

[Qxxx]

I think Bob is right, in that I've seen a LOT of videos about people having leaky roofs in their Class A and C RVs and travel trailers.

For some time, I had thought about making a home in the desert using 3 shipping containers, arranged in a triangle so as to have an enclosed central court. However, too much trouble at my age to build up such a rig, learn to weld, on and on.

I like B&C's idea of a school bus. You can probably pick old ones up for cheap from any school district in the country, and they'll likely still run well enough to get to your site. Lots of windows for ventilation and looking at the scenery. I think I would not enclose the bottom, as then you'll have mouse infestations. Maybe put up a low windbreak fence a few feet to the side. A long bus would give you plenty of space for living. And if you got tired of it after a couple of years, some old hippie would come along and likely buy it.

Alternately, a 30' or longer travel trailer might not be so bad, if you put a secondary roof over it to shield from the sun and keep the rain from leaking inside, like B&C also said. Lots of possibilities that should not be overly expensive.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah, a roof above the RV roof works out well, you see that a lot in snow country. back in the day before AC they actually built houses like that. now-a-days people rather have the sun beat down on their roof an turn the AC on. highdesertranger

 

[coastnalong]

yeah,  a roof above the RV roof works out well,  you see that a lot in snow country.  back in the day before AC they actually built houses like that.  now-a-days people rather have the sun beat down on their roof an turn the AC on.  highdesertranger

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]Parking a travel trailer under a large car port was something I was thinking of.[/font]


[font=Verdana, sans-serif]Years ago I bought a 20 year old travel trailer and lived in it full time for four years. I towed it from San Diego to Seattle. It never needed a repair and had no maintenance for the time I owed it.[/font]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]Now I am hearing besides leaky roofs fairly new travel trailers have structural and electrical problems. Besides the repairs I hear of electrical fires due to cheap wiring.[/font]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]I am wondering how common are the expensive repairs. I am thinking of having a separate thread asking travel trailer owners questions about the repairs they have had, but am not sure the best category for the questions. Anyone have a suggestion for the best category to solicit the most responses?[/font]

 

[Qxxx]

At least with a container, you know it's built like a battleship. And adding a peaked roof on top would make it very water tight. It would be interesting to compare trailer and RV construction between today and 30 years ago, whatever. One imagines they were using wood studs back in the day, but may be using aluminum studs today. Are aluminum stronger? One assumes that a lot of processes have been streamlined, since both labor and material costs a lot higher today. But you need to be an experienced construction person to understand the differences, I think.

 

[bullfrog]

A good well built steel canopy with concrete foundation that will withstand Arizona winds and come down 4' on the sunny side 12' wide x 30' long x 14' tall was over $5,000 from a local construction company in Tucson last year when I checked but if you did your own work you could probably get by with $1,500 to $2,000 worth of materials with a pole barn type roof.

 

[rokguy]

Since I was here last, I've been building a cabin using a cheap manufactured shell and a 20ft truck insulated box (about the same size as a standard shipping container) overall around 430sqft of floor space.
I often thought of using shipping containers however it was more cost effective to convert a insulated truck box as the sides are already 3 in thick foam filled, heat reflective white aluminium exterior and has a stainless steel sheet roof. Windows and doors are easier to cut through as well. Here In Australia the temperatures can be extreme and this little offgrid home suits my needs without AC but I will be installing biodiesel heating as my trucks run on it anyway.
Pictured is the 20ft pantec (truck box) I had delivered before conversion and ready for placement Blue colorbond steel cabin already in place.

 

[closeanuf]

I heard yesterday that the Chinese are building colapsable shipping containers. I don't know anything more than that. Sounds interesting.

 

[Rabbit]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]Now I am hearing besides leaky roofs fairly new travel trailers have structural and electrical problems. Besides the repairs I hear of electrical fires due to cheap wiring.[/font]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]I am wondering how common are the expensive repairs. I am thinking of having a separate thread asking travel trailer owners questions about the repairs they have had, but am not sure the best category for the questions. Anyone have a suggestion for the best category to solicit the most responses?[/font]

This is a thread I would read attentively. Please?

 

[rokguy]

Just on a side note, to the box truck box I'm converting into a small cabin, this is the second one I've done, only this is on my own land.
The first one was a box truck motorhome conversion I lived on the road in for several years and decided to turn it into a tiny house.
He's a picture of it. Two of us lived in it for a couple of years before selling it.

Down here there are a few container homes but due to Australia's heat, they are usually buried/underground type dwellings.

 

[highdesertranger]

nice, I love the stone work. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

I think that's just because they are ones you won't have to move to get to the gold HDR! LOL!!!

 

[coastnalong]

Just on a side note, to the box truck box I'm converting into a small cabin, this is the second one I've done, only this is on my own land.
The first one was a box truck motorhome conversion I lived on the road in for several years and decided to turn it into a tiny house.
He's a picture of it. Two of us lived in it for a couple of years before selling it.

Down here there are a few container homes but due to Australia's heat, they are usually buried/underground type dwellings.

 

[coastnalong]

Your home looks very nice.

 

[CityWoman]

Google "Deek Diedricksen" and relaxshacks. He is well-known in tiny house circles and included some cool container homes in his books.

 

[rokguy]

nice,  I love the stone work.  highdesertranger

Thanks, couldn't help myself adding stone walls. I'll probably do the same with the new cabin too.

 

[Weldman]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I will say now don’t do it. [/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]1. [/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]you[/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] need to have axles underneath it or it’s considered a home,[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]2. [/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]some cities ban shipping containers i.e. Port Angeles WA [/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]3. The shear size at 40’ weighs 9000 lbs empty, then building it out can weigh 15 to 18k lbs then you include the trailer that requires a winch to get it on will weigh 6 to 9k lbs which will require someone with CDL to move which gets expensive.[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]4. Most places won’t allow them such as RV parks and not many places going to let you drop a shipping container on their property.
[/font]I have built one into a 5th wheel that isn’t done though lived in it past off and on and been at it for 8 years due to all that I have listed and have almost lost it 3 times due to city threatening to fine me for it in their city if I didn’t move it out, landlord changed his mind on wanting it on his property and lastly where I moved it I had 4 neighbors call the county on me wanting it out of their neighborhood, the county paid me a visit . Thought multiple times of taking cutting torch and calling it quits.

 

[Lorelei072]

Have you considered building into a hillside or underground? It’s much more affordable.

 

[maki2]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]I am wondering how common are the expensive repairs. I am thinking of having a separate thread asking travel trailer owners questions about the repairs they have had, but am not sure the best category for the questions. Anyone have a suggestion for the best category to solicit the most responses? [/font]

Don't get one of the wood framed trailers with siding. Those will all eventually leak at the roof and seams. Many of them  have metal roofs and when they get older the metal gets lots of pinhole leaks. But of course you can put membranes and coatings over roofs. Materials cost a bit but it is a DIY job if you are a handy person.  The better choice for fewer repairs are the molded fiberglass trailers. Some of them do get leaks along the join lines but that can be taken care of without a ton of money or time. Prevention is always the better approach if you know a particular model might develop an issue. There are forums for many of the makes and models and that will allow you to figure out what the issues with a particular brand might be.

 

[rokguy]

Have you considered building into a hillside or underground? It’s much more affordable.

Thanks for that link,  I've seen down here a few shipping containers half buried similar to this one.....

 

[BuckleBrown]

Im just getting in late to this thread but Spur Texas .. the Friendliest Tiny Home town in USA may be something to look at.

https://www.spurfreedom.org/

Sounds peacful.