Shipping Container Run-In Sheds

[Texarkana]

… the week where Texarkana dominates the “Around the Farm” forum.

But I saw an ad for these on Facebook the other day and I am genuinely curious. The pictures were not great, but it looked like someone just cut the long side of the containers away to make 3 sided metal sheds. This had me googling and finding mostly Pinterest pictures.

Anyone have any first hand experience with these?

It’s not something I’d likely pursue, I am just interested in hearing how it has worked out for those who have done it.

[CHT]

We store equipment in two shipping containers. I feel that you would have to add slope to the roof so that rain/snow didn’t come down the front/entrance, and would have to add mats or something to the floor as it is very slippery when wet. They also lack the depth I like in a shelter. I am not sure I see the cost savings/benefit as they weren’t that cheap to have delivered.

[wsmoak]

I’ve seen people use them for storage and either set some posts for a lean-to roof, or else have to containers and a roof over the space in the middle.

I don’t think the container itself would make a good run-in shelter.

I priced them for storage years ago and they weren’t cheap… I probably wouldn’t go chopping a big hole in it after I paid that much.

[Djones]

I mean, we own one as a leftover from a massive electrical job DH did decades ago…

Plusses: HEAVY, thick walls. Durable. Tall.

Minuses: massive, narrow, slick floored.

[eponacelt]

@Djones

Minuses: massive, narrow, slick floored.

Not to mention they’ve doubled in price, if you can even find them for sale these days. Mr. eponacelt uses them for storage and he’s had a really hard time finding them at all this year with all the shipping and supply line issues that are occurring worldwide.

[Texarkana]

I tried to buy one for storage a few months ago and the prices were very high.

However, the ad for these run-in sheds said they were selling them for $600, which was shockingly cheap to me. Delivery not included.

I am curious to hear how people who have actually done this deal with the flooring, because that was one of my big questions seeing the ad.

Pinterest is chock full of people using them for barns. But none of them show the floor.

[Djones]

It would be easy to put mats down, that would be the way to go.

[Texarkana]

Wouldn’t you think even with mats the floor would corrode eventually? I know they are thick but mud, urine, and manure on metal would really shorten its life…

Also, don’t many of them have wood floors? Makes me wonder if they remove the floor entirely when repurposing.

[Simkie]

Do they really NEED the floor? There’s a frame under the skin, right? Those metal pre fab livestock sheds have no floor, and hold up fine

Eta, yeah, looks like no floor in this one. From Pinterest!

[Texarkana]

Oh, I don’t think you need a floor, it just looks like most of them leave it in… in which case how do they manage it? Unless they are cutting them out and building them up.

I saw that picture but they look like they have done more modification than most. That one makes a cute barn! Most just look like this image I found through Google images:

The ad I saw was taken from too far away to tell what was going on with the floor.

[Simkie]

Guessing a lot of people don’t worry about it, ya know?

Few pictures here show the floor. Mostly without modification it seems, one bedded pretty heavily

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0E8vXPtZzgHuh7VLB5pFHSTuvh8rCgrsAgYAYtaKJeFLekEYGnS4Agm37cwh3GR8il&id=894793590574168&sfnsn=mo

Here’s another photo from the comments, looks like it’s being used as a “run through” shelter? Floor is wood?

[Djones]

Ah, ours is steel all the way around, including the floor- sorry

[awaywego]

@Texarkana, I think I saw the same FB post as you did. I thought it looked like a wooden floor in one of the pics. Not for me, but I guess with the price of lumber, maybe it’s worth it for someone else to modify.

[Bluey]

@Simkie

Guessing a lot of people don’t worry about it, ya know?

Few pictures here show the floor. Mostly without modification it seems, one bedded pretty heavily

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0E8vXPtZzgHuh7VLB5pFHSTuvh8rCgrsAgYAYtaKJeFLekEYGnS4Agm37cwh3GR8il&id=894793590574168&sfnsn=mo

Here’s another photo from the comments, looks like it’s being used as a “run through” shelter? Floor is wood?

How much would it cost to have someone cut the bottom of the right side right above the floor, also cut below the top of the left side.
Then you will have two pieces to be the back and top, stick them together, add one side on each end, a long pipe along the front on the ground, a post in the middle of both halves tying the pipe to the bottom front pipe and roof.

Or if portable is not necessary, stick some bigger post in the ground and tie those halves there.

That box can provide 2x top and back and offer a shed for some protection.
If you get the enclosed ones, you have already made sides.

[Texarkana]

I think you could make a neat shelter opening a long side, then putting posts in the ground and creating a large overhang. But if you are going through all the trouble, why not just stick build the whole shelter? Unless you are dodging building codes or have a source of free/cheap containers.

[Bluey]

@Texarkana

I think you could make a neat shelter opening a long side, then putting posts in the ground and creating a large overhang. But if you are going through all the trouble, why not just stick build the whole shelter? Unless you are dodging building codes or have a source of free/cheap containers.

Right, or buy a portable shed made for horses.
Those are not that expensive and you can tie it down and when not needed any more resell.

[skydy]

It looks as though it would be very hot inside.

[Highflyer1]

Locally a 10x20 shipping container is currently about $2500 (plus delivery and whatever you spend on lumber and conversion) and a 10×20 run in shed assembled on site is about $5000 with delivery. It just doesn’t seem worth it to cut costs on this one.

[Montanas_Girl]

Having worked at a facility that uses those types of containers for hay and other storage needs, I can confirm that @skydy is correct. They get MISERABLY hot in the summer. Unless you did significant modifications to insulate the walls and roof and improve the ventilation (which would probably end up more expensive than just building a shelter), I can’t imagine horses actually using one in warm weather.

[Calvincrowe]

Wood floor plus poop equals slickery slick accident waiting to happen! Eesh! Lumber prices are coming down. I’d stick build one that I didn’t have to modify, add onto or risk injury with.