Cabin Plans? (Inexpensive and easy to build)

All Conex containers are designed to be POINT loaded on the corners and centers. The "roof" is not sufficiently reinforced, even off of the line, to hold weight. So, ghrit and BT are correct, they need to be reinforced. That being said, a group of folks got 3 of them, painted the outsides with rubberized sealant, braced and reinforced the "roofs", set them side by side, cut doors and access points on the interios, joining the 3 (sealed with spray foam to close the gaping and then sealed wooden "thresholds" installed), and then buried them 6' under. They installed a corrugated pipe "escape tunnel" with a a steel hatch. In all it is rather nice, with the fresh air vents, solar power, outlets, the whole nine yards. I was envious when I saw this.

 

good ash or white oak posts peeled and planted on 8-12 foot centers
sitting on a single bag of concrete mix dumped in the bottom of a 4 foot deep hole
run stringers to tie them together, stringers can be small poles, planks or 2x stock
level the tops of your poles and spike down top poles or plates
notched flat to fit snug on your post tops
slabwood can be used as siding, just put on one layer then cover the gaps with a second one
if you plan good you can set ridge support posts when you set the side posts
lay small poles across from the wall top plates to the ridge plate as rafters
cover with slabwood thats half lapped
whole building shouldnt cost you over $100 and most of that is nails
if you want it better sealed, wrap it in roofing felt

 

OK...I give in...I can only speak from my experience, which has had 2 40' reefer trailers buried for right at 25 years with just a 2" pipe frame inside to provide bracing...the top only has a brace going across the width and height every 8' and a pipe lengthwise on the sides and center. There is about 3' of dirt over them.

Obviously, since 3 of people who I respect here have stated that it is impossible, I don't recommend it to anyone else. Apparently, I have been very lucky once again. I am constantly amazed at the things I did incorrectly during that period and got away with...

Had conexes been available locally at that time, I would have used them and assumed that they would work because things don't fall out the bottom when they are hoisted...my neighbor has one buried, but the top is only covered with about a foot of dirt...I will warn him.

Again...don't try this at home...I would not have done so after hearing Ghrit, BT and falcon...

 

Interesting...might they work upside down or is it bracing in the wrong direction?

 

Anyway...back to the subject at hand...

I noticed this on Craigslist this morn...

Beautiful 40' portable house - can go off grid

Just showing what CAN be done with a shipping container above ground

 

Here's a few outside the box ideas:

Earthships 101 part I - YouTube

DIY construction with tires and dirt:
Earthship Biotecture Green Buildings

Timberline Geodesics Dome Raising - YouTube

DIY from a kit:
Timberline Geodesic Domes

 

semi traliers were not designed to hold a load anywhere but on the floor
they buckle and collapse real easy
basically tin cans with a good floor
ive worked on enuff of them and seen too many crumpled up from just tipping over