shipping container/where to buy?

[kimo wires]

I'm looking for a 1 trip container in the best possible condition. (20')
Does anyone know where I can find one for the best price?
Thanks in advance for replies. KW

[Rob Tucker]

There are a bunch of them on Craigslist.

[Eric1600]

looking for a 1 trip container

I assume this means you want to ship with it. Those sold on craigslist probably won't be certified for ocean travel. You can get them inspected and certified, but often used containers are sold because they require repair to get back into service.

[kimo wires]

Thanks, I've seen the ones on Craigslist. Just thought someone might have a recommendation about where to buy. I don't want an old rusty one.
I'm thinking resale value when I'm done with it.
Easier to sell a sea worthy one.

[terracore]

http://www.bigislandcontainer.com/

Give Kimo a call. They're not great about getting back to emails or web forms.

[Kapoho Joe]

Second Kimo. Heads up - he drives a hard bargain, be prepared to haggle.

[randomq]

$4200 for a 40HC from affordableportablehousing.

Blows my mind, they are <<$2000 on the mainland still in usable shape.

[terracore]

Not a lot of 20' get sent to the BI any more. Many for sale were 40 footers cut in half and doors added. Supply/demand makes 20 footers about the same price as the 40s. At least that was my experience 6 years ago.

A lot of the one-trippers are Chinese crap made to last only a few years (sometimes, only one trip, hence their name), you get what you pay for. A 30-year old container from somewhere else made out of weathering steel might actually last longer than a shiny-looking Chinese container:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weathering_steel

Do your due diligence, a good container is supposed to survive because of the weathering steel's composition, not because of paint. Never buy a repainted container. The rusty-looking patina of weathering steel means that the composition is working. If you see a cheap container with exterior that looks like a freshly painted car, it's probably crap, and repainting containers interferes with the chemical composition of the weathering steel and hastens it's demise. The rusty-looking patina of weathering steel is the part that protects the steel from rust. To try and remove it, or cover it up, is a bad idea. When weathering steel is repainted, it allows water to get in between the paint and the steel, and that causes rust. Weathering steel is supposed to be exposed.

Last suggestion when buying a container: bring a ladder. The problems usually start on the roof.

ETA: Forgot to add, the wooden floors in shipping containers are saturated with some of the most toxic insecticides available. A newer container won't have the benefit of years of off-gassing that an older one has. There may be a placard on the outside of the container that decodes the poisons for you: https://www.containerhomeplans.org/2016/...ontainers/