NOMADICISTA

I wonder if anyone has considered using a shipping container as the base for a housetruck. Some of the advantages would be cost.You can buy a shipping container for less than the cost of the steel in them.You could cover them with any sort of wood finish. You could use a plasma cutter or grinder with cutoff disc for windows,then use the section you cut out as a fold out awning. When you are away from the home bring the awnings down for security. Anyone think of any other advantages/disadvantages??

Cheers,Pat

ever read How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand? yes, the same fellow who authored the Whole Earth Catalog. well, seems he had his office in a shipping container and found it fairly satisfactory...

although this might be better posted on the "Sheddie Forum!"

Maybe you can get an idea or two here:
http://www.fabprefab.com/fabfiles/containerbayhome.htm

Not really mobile, but perhaps something can be gleaned.

If you started with a refrigerated container you would have even less work to do. And a container desigend to keep stuff frozen to below zero should certainly keep one warm inside when the temp goes down.

Most have nice hardwood floors as well.

I can think of only two problems

The first would be where you would put the drains. Unless you built the floor up and created a "basement", the plumbing would have no where to go. If all of the tanks and plumbing were in the basement, access would be difficult.

The second concern would be motive power. Unless you have some sort of rollback bed, how you are you going to move your new "house"?

Part of the attraction of a housetruck/bus conversion/ etc. is the platform is supposed to be mobile. A shipping container with no wheels is not going to move very far or very fast without a lot of help.

Just my two cents worth.

Mark O.
Castle Rock, WA

i saw a video about making houses from containers, and looked for it again; as it turns out, theres a bunch!
http://www.youtube.com/results.php?sear ... containers

Thanks to all that replied..there are some great links ,including a fellow who made his home out of containers a few blocks from me (in Victoria,B.C.)
Mark,
I would probably raise the floor in the areas requiring plumbing. I think that would offer a bit more protection from freezing.
The container would be going on a old logging truck,my 1952 Diamond T 950-RS !

Cheers,Pat

how about this one? here's the sites main link..click on the dark blue individual links for lots of cool rigs..

Mike

[img]http://expeditionportal.com/forum/attac ... 1200604055[img/]

lets try it again,

http://www.jubiaba.com/camper4x4/mezzi.htm

click on individual links in the dark blue area's..

Mike

Well, couldn't you cut the body above the floor level on a full size schoolbus and transplant one on. bolt it in place and there you go. You could build boxes hung from the underside of the floor like any other skoolie conversion. This could be hidden by the stock skirting on the vehicle. If you cut it right behind the drivers area and put a passageway in you'd be set. The benifit of this is buses are relativly inexpensive and can handle large amounts of weight. It's easy to find bus parts and mechanics who know what they are doing. If the bus has a major mechanical problem or starts rusting badly, remove the plumbing, unbolt and find another donor bus.

I think this is a do- able solution. However I admit to knowing little about shipping containers dimensions and weight.

What do you all think? Would this work?

-Richard

as far as their dimensions and weight:
http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/container/container.html
this is actually a funny site all together:
http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/howmuchinside.html

yeah, I think a 20' aluminum insulated container for the price would be a great start. It would be sqaure (easier carpentry), strong and a strong foundation. Hmmmm, very interesting.

-Richard

Old Thread but here's a discussion from another group:

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showt ... +container

lots of different rigs here also..:
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9299

Mike

***********
"I've often been asked,

'What do you old folks do now that you're retired?'
Well ... I'm fortunate to have a few friends who have chemical engineering backgrounds, and one of the things we enjoy most is turning beer, wine, bourbon, and martinis into urine. 
And, we're pretty damn good at it, too!!"
unknown author

found this vehcile re: shipping Container conversion to Overland Expedition truck:

http://www.travelling4x4.com/?q=node/22

Mike

*********
a couple of pics..
http://www.travelling4x4.com/?q=node/114


http://www.travelling4x4.com/?q=node/352

Lots of those ex military Bedford 4x4 s for sale here, many of which are left hand drive:

http://www.mod-sales.com/tender/listing.htm

sort of a shipping container...maybe...

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... hp?t=21709

Mike