• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Looking for recommendations re using a Seacan for vehicle storage

Share this page

T

twas_brillig

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
I might have the opportunity to install a Seacan (probably 40 ft long) in a rural area for storing 'stuff' (including cars). I'm assuming one or more Bugeyes (possibly one above the other) and building shelves for parts. I expect that there will be minimal site preparation (i.e. it won't be perfectly flat) and we'll lay out some 8 ft long pressure treated 6x6s or 8x8s crosswise for the can to sit on so it will be slightly elevated.
Any wisdom regards: mice? ventilation? (we live in Western Canada. I'm thinking cutting some holes and adding screened vents would be a good idea, but???); lighting? thoughts on attaching shelf mounts/lifting hooks to the inside of the can? roof strength for snow? walking on the roof?
 
A metal container will always cause condensation in a continental climate. Insulation and light ventilation or use without insulation and a lot of ventilation is necessary.
 
I would not rely on any wood product for a foundation.
Any reason to not pour a slab?
 
Total Cost (reason for no slab) . I chatted with a supplier today, and his point was that the modules are designed to stack, with the load concentrated on the corners where they are connected, so (particularly for my light weight load) he suggested supports (to keep the bottom of the can out of the dirt) are only required at the corners. He cautioned that the only real concern is to avoid 'twisting' the can as that could cause the doors to jam. So, we'll hopefully get it into position, and get it levelled right to left at each end, with a slight downward slope to the entrance.
 
Pressure treated wood will last a long time on the ground but for an even longer life you can usually find used railroad ties.
 
We're in quite a dry climate and will not have power available (other than a solar installation). I can potentialliy get some used railway ties, but they are presumably creosote treated and I'll want to have a look at the possibility of the creosote leaching out, as the location is adjacent to a small river.
I expect that I'll add a side mounted 'turbine' vent at the door end, and a pair (one on each side) of ordinary vents near floor level at the far end. Everything screened to keep beasties out.
 
From what I've read, condensation, interior heat and critters will be your biggest enemies. Some folks install solar-powered vent fans. Complaints mention mold as a big problem, literally destroying the contents. This really is a case of Google being your friend as there are a lot of people with experience using them. I'd also be concerned with security if it is going to be unattended and even if I addressed the condensation issue, I'd want to be checking on the contents regularly to make sure bad things weren't happening to the insides rather than just shutting things up and leaving it for several months at a time.
 
Back
Top