Container based shop: 2 post lift placement advice?

[gut_wrench_garage]

After having the container on the property, seeing it in person, I realized that the only logical place for the lift is...

here:

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Leaves plenty of room on all sites, is out of the way. There will eventually be a roof extending from the container's front edge up until the back of the garage door, coming out 12-15 feet, terminating at posts. It'll offer a nice shaded area to work, and when I have friends over, a great place to hang out and drinks some wobble pops. Should be able to transform from workshop to hangout area in just a few minutes with some chairs, a table, etc. The stereo will already be there, as will be beer fridge just inside the door.

Next steps: framing the inside and running electrical, then spray foam insulation and drywall. I'd do OSB but I'll be welding in there sometimes and OSB might catch, drywall won't. Then, run power to the container, then concrete, then lift. It's only money

 

[Flycast47]

Most 2 post or 4 post lifts are not recommended for outdoor installation. I believe that tis constraint would apply to any lift that is electrically operated.

 

[gut_wrench_garage]

You're right, they aren't. However, we only get 5-8" precipitation per year. I have done quite a bit of research on the subject, and am comfortable doing it. Another person in this area has done the same thing. I'll be protecting anything sensitive with a custom cover if I need to. As for the mechanicals, they'll get lubricated as needed. I'm not too worried about it.

 

[Hunter79764]

I'm late to the game, but my suggestion was to lay it out with paper dolls first, everything to scale, and see how that feels. With the actual container, you hit the nail on the head, drive a truck around and you will know pretty quick. See if you can get the footprint dimensions of the lift and make some cardboard templates, maybe some 4x4 scrap to simulate the posts, and pretend to work around and see how it feels. If you have a welding cart already, zip-tie the power cord in place and wheel it around, make sure you are clear from the truck and that you can make the corners easily, etc.
If I was in your shoes, I'd lean towards a 4 post and keep it mobile, but I think your 2 post is a solid plan. And if you think there's a second potential location, pour the concrete thicker there as well. You won't get an easy second chance at it after you pour it, but right now it just costs a little digging, a little rebar, and an extra half yard or so...
As for shade, I lived in the desert, and I'm cheap, I get your situation. Doing a decent berm/footer around the perimeter and/or at corners and mid points to add a carport or metal building later would be cheap insurance now and fairly impossible down the road. Don't worry about anchor bolts, those will be drilled/epoxied later, but thicker slab doesn't get an easy do-over. Just make sure you draw out where the thick spots are so you aren't trying to remember in 10 years. But for shorter term, look into shade cloth and a couple of poles. For a few hundred, you can get some shade where you need it most, anchor to the container and then to a pole or 2 or 3, depending on how you want to run it.
Last thing for now, if West is your primary wind, beware that you might get some whipping and such around the north and south ends of the container. This shade cloth might actually help with that too, running a vertical one as a wind block. Might also be a good way to obscure the view for nosy neighbors, city inspectors, or potential thieves.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH75X7YB/

I lied, another thought on thieves - Consider some Job Boxes or large ammo boxes that you can anchor to the ground around the perimeter. Not only can they be a handy seat, workbench, or table, but you can throw hand tools in there overnight rather than take it all back to the container just to get it out again in the morning. And on that note, make double sure your slab and your container match elevation (or have a smooth transition) so you aren't fighting carts in and out every day for the next 20 years...

 

[gut_wrench_garage]

And if you think there's a second potential location, pour the concrete thicker there as well. You won't get an easy second chance at it after you pour it, but right now it just costs a little digging, a little rebar, and an extra half yard or so...

That's an excellent suggestion!

As for shade, I lived in the desert, and I'm cheap, I get your situation. Doing a decent berm/footer around the perimeter and/or at corners and mid points to add a carport or metal building later would be cheap insurance now and fairly impossible down the road. Don't worry about anchor bolts, those will be drilled/epoxied later, but thicker slab doesn't get an easy do-over. Just make sure you draw out where the thick spots are so you aren't trying to remember in 10 years. But for shorter term, look into shade cloth and a couple of poles. For a few hundred, you can get some shade where you need it most, anchor to the container and then to a pole or 2 or 3, depending on how you want to run it.

Again, excellent suggestions. Everything is going to be well documented with measurements, pictures, video etc.

Last thing for now, if West is your primary wind, beware that you might get some whipping and such around the north and south ends of the container. This shade cloth might actually help with that too, running a vertical one as a wind block. Might also be a good way to obscure the view for nosy neighbors, city inspectors, or potential thieves.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH75X7YB/

It's like you're in my brain. I have been thinking about the wind whipping around as well. A cloth "fence" might be a great investment, about 8 feet tall. I am also going to be running flood lights at the corners, as well as exterior lighting to give myself some build in shop lights at night.

I lied, another thought on thieves - Consider some Job Boxes or large ammo boxes that you can anchor to the ground around the perimeter. Not only can they be a handy seat, workbench, or table, but you can throw hand tools in there overnight rather than take it all back to the container just to get it out again in the morning. And on that note, make double sure your slab and your container match elevation (or have a smooth transition) so you aren't fighting carts in and out every day for the next 20 years...

I can pick up a jobbox pretty inexpensively. Thanks for that. For the rest, everything will be on carts. Even my welding table is on wheels, and can be locked in the container. The slab will be the same height as the container- 2" gravel below 4" concrete. We were just talking about that yesterday in fact. We being myself and my friends without whom I'd never be able to do this project!

Thanks again for all the great ideas, and the amazon link That will do very nicely, and is way way cheaper than a real roof.

 

[TotalyHucked]

Instead of getting a 20 foot tall carport to put his 4 post under, he mounted the metal carport to the lift itself. But yes, ill try and get pictures. He's in the Nova club but has a 50's truck he brings to Dino's every year.

Ohhh I get it, he mounted the ceiling/awning to it, right? At first I had a whole mini building in my head Carport, duh lol

 

[Steelbuddha]

Based on my recent research, a couple of things:

• Have your specific lift selected before you design and pour your slab. You'll want two mounting points that are maybe 3' x 3' and 12" deeper than the rest of the slab, with extra rebar in those areas. That will guarantee non-failure of the lift mounting.

• I know a few guys who have lifts mounted outdoors. The key is to put as much of the electrical gear as you can inside the building, then connect it to the lift through EMT conduit to keep it weathertight. Then keep the lift mechanicals very greasy. Spraying it down a couple of times a year with Fluid Film should be fine.

• You can use prop rods/jacks fore and aft to stabilize the vehicle on the lift.

I've spent too much of my life squirming around on gravel under vehicles. A couple of years ago I poured a slab so I can at least use a creeper, which is high class from my perspective. Being able to stand up under the vehicle would be wonderful.

Good luck with your project!

[Edited to change 12' to 12". That's a lot of concrete.]

 

[89Suburban]

Based on my recent research, a couple of things:

• Have your specific lift selected before you design and pour your slab. You'll want two mounting points that are maybe 3' x 3' and 12' deeper than the rest of the slab, with extra rebar in those areas. That will guarantee non-failure of the lift mounting.

• I know a few guys who have lifts mounted outdoors. The key is to put as much of the electrical gear as you can inside the building, then connect it to the lift through EMT conduit to keep it weathertight. Then keep the lift mechanicals very greasy. Spraying it down a couple of times a year with Fluid Film should be fine.

• You can use prop rods/jacks fore and aft to stabilize the vehicle on the lift.

I've spent too much of my life squirming around on gravel under vehicles. A couple of years ago I poured a slab so I can at least use a creeper, which is high class from my perspective. Being able to stand up under the vehicle would be wonderful.

Good luck with your project!

Hell I used to hang the front or rear ends of my vehicles off the loading dock at work. It was better than nothing.

What about installing a pit to drive over?

 

[Steelbuddha]

Hell I used to hang the front or rear ends of my vehicles off the loading dock at work. It was better than nothing.

What about installing a pit to drive over?

That's fine for indoors. Outdoors, you wind up with a swimming pool or a frog pond.

 

[goldpack]

You're right, they aren't. However, we only get 5-8" precipitation per year. I have done quite a bit of research on the subject, and am comfortable doing it. Another person in this area has done the same thing. I'll be protecting anything sensitive with a custom cover if I need to. As for the mechanicals, they'll get lubricated as needed. I'm not too worried about it.

with such little rain, do people have rain barrels, or dry well pits to collect the run-off from such shed roofs?

maybe use some rain water in your swamp box cooler for your exterior garage party space.

 

[gut_wrench_garage]

with such little rain, do people have rain barrels, or dry well pits to collect the run-off from such shed roofs?

maybe use some rain water in your swamp box cooler for your exterior garage party space.

No, not at all. It's just not a thing here. If you want water, you dig a well or have it trucked in if you're not connected to utilities.

What about installing a pit to drive over?

That's fine for indoors. Outdoors, you wind up with a swimming pool or a frog pond.

Here, a small sump pump would take care of that without a second thought. Or a small sump emptying directly into some gravel would work. But, that's actually a bigger project than installing a lift, with less utility, unless you're going to do just oil changes. I wouldn't want to drop a transmission into a pit.

Based on my recent research, a couple of things:

• Have your specific lift selected before you design and pour your slab. You'll want two mounting points that are maybe 3' x 3' and 12" deeper than the rest of the slab, with extra rebar in those areas. That will guarantee non-failure of the lift mounting.

Yep, have it picked out and have downloaded the manual.

• I know a few guys who have lifts mounted outdoors. The key is to put as much of the electrical gear as you can inside the building, then connect it to the lift through EMT conduit to keep it weathertight. Then keep the lift mechanicals very greasy. Spraying it down a couple of times a year with Fluid Film should be fine.

Awesome, Thanks for that!

I've spent too much of my life squirming around on gravel under vehicles. A couple of years ago I poured a slab so I can at least use a creeper, which is high class from my perspective. Being able to stand up under the vehicle would be wonderful.

Good luck with your project!

Indeed, I have never enjoyed working under vehicles. So this is definitely a "bucket list" item. And, thank you! I just got the quote for spray foam insulation in the interior. My budget is about to catch fire!

 

[89Suburban]

That's fine for indoors. Outdoors, you wind up with a swimming pool or a frog pond.

Sump and sump pump. But I guess that isn't a good idea if you wind up with contaminants. It can double as a test tank for boat repairs haha

 

[Turbo4whl]

Important to use that 2 post lift correctly. Don't let unsupervised friends use it. Your Suburban has a frame, you should be good!

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[goldpack]

Important to use that 2 post lift correctly. Don't let unsupervised friends use it. Your Suburban has a frame, you should be good!

You must be registered for see images attach

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I see the turbo snail grand national on the fender....so I hope ...hope insurance can fix that....or at least turn it into a nice parts car for another.

things I kick myself for not buying. a 1987 grand national off a lawn in March of 2002. a $7000 driver in fine unmolested shape,... (stopped to look at often,....I should have bought it and garage to put it in).

 

[Ricko1966]

Important to use that 2 post lift correctly. Don't let unsupervised friends use it. Your Suburban has a frame, you should be good!

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That Buick has a full frame. Nothings idiot proof.