Somewhat temporary storage of motorcycles

[NuggyBuggy]

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As some of you may know, the garage at my cottage recently burned down. In it, we kept 3 dirt bikes and my road bike as well as a ton of other stuff - mostly tools and lawn equipment.

My contractor thinks it will be fall until a garage can be rebuilt after insurance, permits, etc. My bikes are currently stored in my neighbour's garage, but that situation means we really can't be riding our bikes without inconveniencing our neighbours and I don't want to do that.

I've started thinking about ways that I could store these bikes and some essential tools to do the absolute minimum of required yard work like a weedwhacker, chainsaws, etc, and be able to use and access them relatively easily and with some security.

A few ideas have come to mind:

1) Rent a storage unit - seems like it would be a pain having to go there to load/unload dirt bikes, pick up tools needed, etc. Not sure if storage unit would allow storage of vehicles/tools containing gas?

2) Buy or rent a shipping container - we have a narrow dirt road going to our place so not sure if they can even place a container on our lot? I've also heard condensation in these things can be terrible for bikes, but not sure how much this is a problem? I know some have vents but most don't seem to. It's not likely I will be able to place it near AC so probably couldn't run a fan or heat.

My wife hates the idea of a container on our property - thinks they look ugly - even though probably a majority of properties on our road have one or more, so if I buy one I'd probably have to sell it down the road. Delivery seems to cost hundreds of dollars and not sure how I would sell it later on TBH. I wouldn't be able to move it once it's placed.

3) Buy a storage tent like the ubiquitous ShelterLogics. I don't like this idea as it would offer no security. They're cheap though.

4) Buy an enclosed trailer, and then sell it later. Some of the larger ones (say, 7x12?) might be twice (?) what a 20' container might cost, but getting one on my property might be easier and cheaper - just need a friend or relative with a pickup to haul it and drop it, moving it later would be similarly easy. Would these be suitable for storing vehicles for months at a time, or would condensation/moisture also be a problem?

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I missing any obvious ideas?

 

[Baggsy]

Storage Pod?

 

[GreyGhost]

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I missing any obvious ideas?

Yep. A normal garden shed. More secure than tarp building and you can use it after for the garden stuff to leave more room in the good garage for bikes.

Alternatively, build a small building that could be converted to a bunky once the garage is done. As it is separate from insurance issues, you could start building it next weekend (less than 120 sq ft probably doesnt require a building permit).

 

[Evoex]

As some of you may know, the garage at my cottage recently burned down. In it, we kept 3 dirt bikes and my road bike as well as a ton of other stuff - mostly tools and lawn equipment.

My contractor thinks it will be fall until a garage can be rebuilt after insurance, permits, etc. My bikes are currently stored in my neighbour's garage, but that situation means we really can't be riding our bikes without inconveniencing our neighbours and I don't want to do that.

I've started thinking about ways that I could store these bikes and some essential tools to do the absolute minimum of required yard work like a weedwhacker, chainsaws, etc, and be able to use and access them relatively easily and with some security.

A few ideas have come to mind:

1) Rent a storage unit - seems like it would be a pain having to go there to load/unload dirt bikes, pick up tools needed, etc. Not sure if storage unit would allow storage of vehicles/tools containing gas?

2) Buy or rent a shipping container - we have a narrow dirt road going to our place so not sure if they can even place a container on our lot? I've also heard condensation in these things can be terrible for bikes, but not sure how much this is a problem? I know some have vents but most don't seem to. It's not likely I will be able to place it near AC so probably couldn't run a fan or heat.

My wife hates the idea of a container on our property - thinks they look ugly - even though probably a majority of properties on our road have one or more, so if I buy one I'd probably have to sell it down the road. Delivery seems to cost hundreds of dollars and not sure how I would sell it later on TBH. I wouldn't be able to move it once it's placed.

3) Buy a storage tent like the ubiquitous ShelterLogics. I don't like this idea as it would offer no security. They're cheap though.

4) Buy an enclosed trailer, and then sell it later. Some of the larger ones (say, 7x12?) might be twice (?) what a 20' container might cost, but getting one on my property might be easier and cheaper - just need a friend or relative with a pickup to haul it and drop it, moving it later would be similarly easy. Would these be suitable for storing vehicles for months at a time, or would condensation/moisture also be a problem?

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I missing any obvious ideas?

FWIW I've been storing motorcycles in a heated indoor storage place for a year now. I read the fine print before signing and it wasn't prohibited. Ran into 3 other guys who store bikes in there as well.

 

[BKnight]

I'd go with a Costco garden shed. You can get an 8 x 10 with double door for $1,800 - $1,900 and as Greyghost said you have it to use after for other stuff.

 

[PrivatePilot]

4) Buy an enclosed trailer, and then sell it later. Some of the larger ones (say, 7x12?) might be twice (?) what a 20' container might cost, but getting one on my property might be easier and cheaper - just need a friend or relative with a pickup to haul it and drop it, moving it later would be similarly easy.

Keep in mind that although easy to get in to your place, they're also really easy for someone else to hook onto and steal. It happens all the time.

You could take the wheels off, chain it to a tree, and make it harder, but ultimatley if someone wants a trailer, they're going to find a way to get that trailer. I had a friend in this exact same situation who had a trailer with a quad and some other stuff stolen right off his property while he wasn't there - they just came in, hooked up, and left.


For security, a seacan with a high security lock is hard to beat honestly. If you can get power to it in any way possible (even a few hundred feet of extension cord, if need be) and single dehumidifier running on it's auto setting with the drain pipe just running out through the floor and into the dirt will remove all moisture concerns.

The other options like a Costco garden shed or tarp shed, not particularly secure at all of course, but you go for the "out of sight out of mind" thing in that situation, and in the end, carry good insurance. Moisture isn't an issue as long as you keep some air movement through any structure. The reason that's a harder thing with a seacan as it's a big mass of metal and designed to be fairly air tight, hence the dehumidifier suggestion.

 

[AFJ]

My thought would be an 8' x 12.5 "Lifetime" shed. (Which can be lengthened in 2.5 ft additional sections, if needed.)
Although they are now about $2,600 a Home Depot rather than the $1,000-$1,200 I paid for the 2 that I built some years ago they stand up very well, are secure but ventilated and can be disassembled and still worth money for someone to reassemble them in another place.
Can be built on a wooden floor on a few cement blocks if you need the underneath ventilation or on a ground-level wood frame. And quick to build even working alone. The plastic panels seem to stand up better to weather than the thin metal type and were easier to assemble.
AFJ

 

[PrivatePilot]

secure but ventilated and can be disassembled and still worth money for someone to reassemble them in another place.
Can be built on a wooden floor on a few cement blocks if you need the underneath ventilation or on a ground-level wood frame. And quick to build even working alone. The plastic panels seem to stand up better to weather than the thin metal type

In the real world how "secure" is a plastic shed though? All of the ones I've ever seen looks like the doors/hinges/some other point of failure would succumb to a few good shoulder checks.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

In the real world how "secure" is a plastic shed though? All of the ones I've ever seen looks like the doors/hinges/some other point of failure would succumb to a few good shoulder checks.

This is my worry - not so much for my road bike, which needs a key to start and has a steering lock, but for my dirt bikes, none of which have so much as a key. It's be a cinch to just zip off on all three of them. It wouldn't be that hard for two strong guys just pick up my road bike and toss it into a van either, but still much harder, especially since I do have a gate to prevent vehicles from coming too far down my road.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Keep in mind that although easy to get in to your place, they're also really easy for someone else to hook onto and steal. It happens all the time.

You could take the wheels off, chain it to a tree, and make it harder, but ultimatley if someone wants a trailer, they're going to find a way to get that trailer. I had a friend in this exact same situation who had a trailer with a quad and some other stuff stolen right off his property while he wasn't there - they just came in, hooked up, and left.

I appreciate that. I know that a determined thief is going to make out with my stuff if they want to. Our cottage does have a gate so anyone who is going to try and make off with a trailer would need to cut the chain on the lock - doable, to be sure. But near our cottage there are so many trailers for snow machines and such that I'm not sure anyone would break into our gate to look. Now, if they knew what I had in the trailer that would be a different story.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

FWIW I've been storing motorcycles in a heated indoor storage place for a year now. I read the fine print before signing and it wasn't prohibited. Ran into 3 other guys who store bikes in there as well.

I wasn't even thinking an indoor storage place was an option. How does that work - do you ride it out? That would work good for my road bike, but the dirt bikes would be a pain, what with all the hassle of lashing them down on my utility trailer (I really need to get some good chocks).

I would think they wouldn't want storing of vehicles with fuel inside.

 

[Evoex]

I wasn't even thinking an indoor storage place was an option. How does that work - do you ride it out? That would work good for my road bike, but the dirt bikes would be a pain, what with all the hassle of lashing them down on my utility trailer (I really need to get some good chocks).

I would think they wouldn't want storing of vehicles with fuel inside.

Yep no issues.

This specific location has a roll up side door that I can get in and out of

 

[xrljoel]

As some of you may know, the garage at my cottage recently burned down. In it, we kept 3 dirt bikes and my road bike as well as a ton of other stuff - mostly tools and lawn equipment.

My contractor thinks it will be fall until a garage can be rebuilt after insurance, permits, etc. My bikes are currently stored in my neighbour's garage, but that situation means we really can't be riding our bikes without inconveniencing our neighbours and I don't want to do that.

I've started thinking about ways that I could store these bikes and some essential tools to do the absolute minimum of required yard work like a weedwhacker, chainsaws, etc, and be able to use and access them relatively easily and with some security.

A few ideas have come to mind:

1) Rent a storage unit - seems like it would be a pain having to go there to load/unload dirt bikes, pick up tools needed, etc. Not sure if storage unit would allow storage of vehicles/tools containing gas?

2) Buy or rent a shipping container - we have a narrow dirt road going to our place so not sure if they can even place a container on our lot? I've also heard condensation in these things can be terrible for bikes, but not sure how much this is a problem? I know some have vents but most don't seem to. It's not likely I will be able to place it near AC so probably couldn't run a fan or heat.

My wife hates the idea of a container on our property - thinks they look ugly - even though probably a majority of properties on our road have one or more, so if I buy one I'd probably have to sell it down the road. Delivery seems to cost hundreds of dollars and not sure how I would sell it later on TBH. I wouldn't be able to move it once it's placed.

3) Buy a storage tent like the ubiquitous ShelterLogics. I don't like this idea as it would offer no security. They're cheap though.

4) Buy an enclosed trailer, and then sell it later. Some of the larger ones (say, 7x12?) might be twice (?) what a 20' container might cost, but getting one on my property might be easier and cheaper - just need a friend or relative with a pickup to haul it and drop it, moving it later would be similarly easy. Would these be suitable for storing vehicles for months at a time, or would condensation/moisture also be a problem?

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I missing any obvious ideas?

Everything I've read here so far screams - SEA CAN RENTAL.

Secure and temporary.

Ugly? Certainly is, but so it the mess left from the fire and both are temporary.

As for delivery, there is a guy near Peterborough that delivers them using a flatbed tow truck, as they're usually going to places like cottages or hunt camps with so-so access roads. I expect other companies use the same type of truck.

 

[GreyGhost]

My thought would be an 8' x 12.5 "Lifetime" shed. (Which can be lengthened in 2.5 ft additional sections, if needed.)
Although they are now about $2,600 a Home Depot rather than the $1,000-$1,200 I paid for the 2 that I built some years ago they stand up very well, are secure but ventilated and can be disassembled and still worth money for someone to reassemble them in another place.
Can be built on a wooden floor on a few cement blocks if you need the underneath ventilation or on a ground-level wood frame. And quick to build even working alone. The plastic panels seem to stand up better to weather than the thin metal type and were easier to assemble.
AFJ

Costco has an 8x10 lifetime shed for $1700 (1774914).

The plastic sheds are more security through obscurity. Nothing visible, cover the windows on the inside. Hope they pick an easier target. Rake the ground in front of the door so there are obvious dirtbike tracks into storage.

As for carrying away bikes, a chain through the wheels really complicates that process for them and isn't a huge pain for you. Yes, it can be easily beaten but it buys you time as most thieves are dumb and not prepared.

Do you have internet at the cottage? Camera with motion sensing and alerts is your friend. Let's you know if people are poking around and most importantly, if they get through the first layer (building) and are then foiled by second layer (chain) you know about it and can react quickly. Either send the cops or get the stuff out so when they come back (which is almost guaranteed at that point) you don't get burned again. If I cleaned out the shed, I would also be inclined to put something in the building like a dye bomb. F those guys. I don't want to hurt them (too much legal trouble) but it would be ideal if they look like smurfs for a few weeks.

 

[Scuba Steve]

Everything I've read here so far screams - SEA CAN RENTAL.

Secure and temporary.

Ugly? Certainly is, but so it the mess left from the fire and both are temporary.

As for delivery, there is a guy near Peterborough that delivers them using a flatbed tow truck, as they're usually going to places like cottages or hunt camps with so-so access roads. I expect other companies use the same type of truck.

I agree a container is the same price as a shed and way more secure. Otherwise I would go with a shelterlogic type unit.

Sent from the future

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Do you have internet at the cottage? Camera with motion sensing and alerts is your friend. Let's you know if people are poking around and most importantly, if they get through the first layer (building) and are then foiled by second layer (chain) you know about it and can react quickly. Either send the cops or get the stuff out so when they come back (which is almost guaranteed at that point) you don't get burned again. If I cleaned out the shed, I would also be inclined to put something in the building like a dye bomb. F those guys. I don't want to hurt them (too much legal trouble) but it would be ideal if they look like smurfs for a few weeks.

We do have Internet. Truth be told, we never actually locked our garage because our area was reasonably secure. The biggest threats would be short-term rentals or guests from our neighbours who saw stuff going in or out. Fortunately the short-term rental problem seems to have been solved as our neighbour who was doing that seems to have pivoted to long-term rental.

We figured anybody looking would figure the garage was reasonably secure and not bother checking. Whereas if someone saw me moving dirt bikes in and out a plastic shed or a tent, they might quickly figure it was easy pickings.

I have a niece who lives in the general area. She has some sketchy friends who have a lot of bikes and sleds that they ride dirty and might be stolen. She was adamant I not let randoms on Kijiji or Marketplace know that we have sleds or dirt bikes on our property because they would be stolen pretty quickly.

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