Outdoor storage

[Tawpie]

It's finally time to move the wheels out of the house and somewhere outside, too many stink eyes from the better half and lugging them up and down the stairs is so last year. One of them is a Gotway, and even though it's just an Mten at least one of those has burst into flames so not having them in the basement will improve the general peace of mind and further promote domestic tranquility.

I know to keep them sheltered, and they will come indoors when the temperature is forecast to drop below 35F, but I am curious if anyone keeps their wheels in an unheated space and have they noticed any issues? Absolutely, condensation control is paramount and I'm experimenting with how to stay above dew point without running a space heater. But other than condensation, what's the general feeling about not having a temperature controlled environment for the wheels to live in?

My current plan is a plastic outdoor storage locker monitored for temp, humidity and dew point plus a battery operated smoke detector so we know when to call the fire department. Currently testing a 25W heater intended for gun safes to warm it up just a touch in an attempt to stay above dew point—thus far after 2 solid days of rain and 99% RH outside, the inside of the locker is holding at 88%, 4°F above dew point. This 'should' be good? Or does the RH need to be lower?

Edited March 1, 2022 by Tawpie

[UniBlab]

Was eye-ballin' this until I saw the price! Ouch! But it's powder coated metal, waterproof and has a decent level of security. You bolt it to the slab and voila!......

 

[Paul A]

Maybe purchase a generic Deck Box.

Fairly cheap, no installation required, outdoor weather proof, spacious, easy access, etc.

 

Example from Walmart.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Keter-Store-It-Out-Midi-30-Cu-Ft-All-Weather-Resin-Storage-Shed-Beige/438112659?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&gclid=CjwKCAiAgvKQBhBbEiwAaPQw3PUz3tyKiDasEpPmpcaZYApEmOlFzMTR9J1-xP8I-Sy7k9SsoWjT9RoCc58QAvD_BwE

Keter Store-It-Out Midi 30-Cu Ft All-Weather Resin Storage Shed, Beige

$168.00

 

_______________________________________

 

Maybe use yoga foam mats for insulation.

Gyms frequently need to renew their yoga mats (annually maybe?) through wear and tear, dirty appearance etc.

It costs them to dispose of the old mats....maybe make a few inquiries.

 

Easy to cut to size with a box cutter.

Glue with silicone and sandwich between sheets of cardboard from flattened boxes.  Trim off excess with box cutter.

Great for insulation.  Similar to the aluminum/foam sandwich panels used in cool rooms/freezers.

[alcatraz]

Ventilation ought to help. Is it enough without heating? Don't know.. 

[bracky72]

I have a deck box on my deck for years storing cushions and such. It has always stayed dry inside.  I think this is a good idea. 

[UniBlab]

Those plastic sheds are fine, but if a wheel decides to burn then that shed becomes an accelerant.  If I had the room in my yard I'd really take a look at a 10 ft. shipping container - won't burn and would keep surroundings from catching fire.  Weather proof and fairly secure.

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by UniBlab
bad link

[Tawpie]

9 minutes ago, UniBlab said:

shed becomes an accelerant

If only I had room for a shipping container. But if I were to dare put one on the property, it would quickly be designated my bedroom as well and I don't want that.

In case of fire (which is not my primary motivation for this effort), I mostly would like to buy time to get people out of the building and for the fire department to arrive, so half measures are acceptable.

My plan right now is to see if low level heat will be enough to prevent condensation. If insulation is necessary, I'll use rock wool mostly because it doesn't fall apart when wet. It will be a bonus that it's also a good flame retardant.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Tawpie

[UniBlab]

1 hour ago, Tawpie said:

If only I had room for a shipping container. But if I were to dare put one on the property, it would quickly be designated my bedroom as well and I don't want that.

Lol!!! Too funy....

1 hour ago, Tawpie said:

In case of fire (which is not my primary motivation for this effort), I mostly would like to buy time to get people out of the building and for the fire department to arrive, so half measures are acceptable.

My plan right now is to see if low level heat will be enough to prevent condensation. If insulation is necessary, I'll use rock wool mostly because it doesn't fall apart when wet. It will be a bonus that it's also a good flame retardant.

It's also a very good substrate for the cultivation of cannabis - or so I've been told.

[Tawpie]

Alrightie... sharing v1. It spent a week empty in the rain (4.5 inches) with pretty good (normal) wind before I dared put anything in it... perfectly dry. Not a drop.

Plenty of room, little shelf for a power strip and chargers. The gold rod looking things on the back are a gun safe heater to keep the temperature above dew point. I tested it for a week when the outside humidity was 99% and the inside peaked out at 88% so I believe it'll work. The heaters kept the internal temp about a single degree F above ambient. I may add rockwool insulation. Or not.

At the back on the floor I have a low velocity 5" axial fan (120V) that is there to keep air moving around. My biggest fear is condensation, so I don't want the wheels to stay cooler than ambient and moving the air around should help.

 

View from the top... behind the S18 I dangled a temperature humidity sensor to keep an eye on things. It's wireless and I've got a temperature alarm set at 35°F, when it gets that cold the wheels come indoors.

I will also add a humistat to control the heater and fan, but want to do a bit more work to add mounting spots and neaten up the wiring jungle.

Oh. I'll be putting a battery powered smoke detector in there too... not (just) because of the Gotway.

 

Lastly, this is how power gets into the box. Hopefully it doesn't leak but blobs of silicone will deal with that if necessary. The power passthrough has gaskets but... until I add goop I will probably tape some plastic over it. The box's sidewalls are hollow, I don't really want water in there as there's no drain hole!

To deter thieves, there's a padlock (yeah, that'll keep 'em out!) and two really loud motion activated alarms. This is a dense urban installation, neighbors are 10' away so🤞

 

The stuff:

fan: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009OWVUJ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
shortie extension cord, exterior: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075BCD1LN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
power inlet: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GLFQV2P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
heater for gun safe: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08K2Q97PY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
storage box/shed: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G461FT5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
temp/humidity sensor (requires additional stuff): https://www.acurite.com/shop-all/weather-instruments/weather-sensors-and-parts/replacement-parts/indoor-outdoor-temperature-humidity-sensor.html?ref=name
alarms: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLDZN2G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A humistat will probably cost 45USD so I'm not super eager to add it unless I have to… the heater is a 25W heater so it's not a power hog, but 25W is 25W and the planet isn't getting any cooler.

Edited March 6, 2022 by Tawpie

[UniBlab]

Wow - great job!  You really went all out.  I can tell you put great effort in to it. I like it a lot.  It's like a home for a family of eucs.......

[Tawpie]

It was in pursuit of domestic tranquility so no expense was spared… the better half dubbed it the “wheel house”. So now, I can truly say that EUCs are right in my wheel house.

[Paul A]

Very nice storage shed setup.

If one wheel burns, they might all be destroyed.

Better than burning down the house though.

[GothamMike]

Padlocking the EUCs to the box, or each other, will deter theft. Drilling a hole in the shelf so a cable lock can pass through.

[ken-ny]

Very nice. I personally value protection from toxic fumes over the heat from the fire so I'm probably going to try for a solution similar to this.  The temperatures vary quite a bit where I live, though...we can get 0F to 100F so I might need some extra temperature control on the low end.  I am kind of surprised that the demand isn't high enough (or is it?) for a company to step up and start offering solutions. 

In my search, I did run across doghouse heaters: Top 15 Best Dog House Heaters for 2022 - Animalso

Can people's love for pets transfer over to love of their vehicles?  

[Roadpower]

I think I would have gotten something like a propane outdoor storage cage and put a roof over it.

[Funky]

46 minutes ago, ken-ny said:

Very nice. I personally value protection from toxic fumes over the heat from the fire so I'm probably going to try for a solution similar to this.  The temperatures vary quite a bit where I live, though...we can get 0F to 100F so I might need some extra temperature control on the low end.  I am kind of surprised that the demand isn't high enough (or is it?) for a company to step up and start offering solutions. 

In my search, I did run across doghouse heaters: Top 15 Best Dog House Heaters for 2022 - Animalso

Can people's love for pets transfer over to love of their vehicles?  

xD in my case i don't care about toxic fumes. Fire is the real monster that scares me. When euc starts burning you will hear batteries pooping, smoke alarm. So you can run away.. (My case opening window, simply steping next room and closing doors behind) But fire will BURN everything down. Smoke, black ceilings can be dealt over time.. Fire = end game. Best case one room is burnt down, worst case whole house.

Edited March 23, 2022 by Funky

[Funky]

I would love to keep my euc on my balcony. Temp drops.. Moisture.. Rain.. Bugs.. To much hassle. My case best scenario would be "fireproof" box next to my bed.  

[Mango]

If you keep EUC in a fireplace or room with ceramic tile floors, fire is not as concerning as toxic smoke that will ruin everything it touches. In house fires, majority of people die from smoke inhalation. Smoke kills.

I have too been thinking a lot about a storage box for my EUCs. As I live in an apartment, especially worrisome. I could build a metal cabinet with chimney if kept inside, or weatherproof outdoor box with heater if kept out on the balcony.

The prices of pre-made fireproof boxes are ludicrous. See photo.

As EUC are getting more popular, there is going to be a growing need for these fireproof storage sheds, as there is no product on the market for the growing demand.

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by Mango

[Funky]

20 minutes ago, Mango said:

If you keep EUC in a fireplace or room with ceramic tile floors, fire is not as concerning as toxic smoke that will ruin everything it touches. In house fires, majority of people die from smoke inhalation. Smoke kills.

I have too been thinking a lot about a storage box for my EUCs. As I live in an apartment, especially worrisome. I could build a metal cabinet with chimney if kept inside, or weatherproof outdoor box with heater if kept out on the balcony.

The prices of pre-made fireproof boxes are ludicrous. See photo.

As EUC are getting more popular, there is going to be a growing need for these fireproof storage sheds, as there is no product on the market for the growing demand.

 

Same here apartment.. Yeah i was looking at those to.. 2 Expensive. Cheaper would be buying metal cabinet and insulating inside with "rockwool" or other type fire resistant material. ~400$ end product.

+ you can place that cabinet on some "bricks" so floor doesn't catch on fire from heat.

 There are people like my dad/me who simply keep their euc next to bed no protection what so ever.. I'm at least thinking about buying/building something so fire don't spread. xD

Edited March 23, 2022 by Funky

[Paul A]

Storage on apartment balcony.

Need to check if building has flammable cladding.

Grenfell Towers in London tragedy.

Many apartments worldwide also have flammable cladding.

Sometimes manufacturers blatantly lie about the safety standards of products.

[Funky]

13 minutes ago, Paul A said:

Storage on apartment balcony.

Need to check if building has flammable cladding.

Grenfell Towers in London tragedy.

Many apartments worldwide also have flammable cladding.

Sometimes manufacturers blatantly lie about the safety standards of products.

Good old Brick and Mortar.  

[Roadpower]

I wonder if there is a way to absorb the fumes. I recall a video I saw on the development of mats being made out of human hair for the purpose of absorbing oil. It sounds nuts but it works fantastically well. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=human+hair+absorb+oil+spill

[Roadpower]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

Ooof, dat price.. I think I would just get some cinder blocks in that case. No need to even mortar them together as the box doesn't have to be very big.

[Paul A]

Cinder blocks, that is a good idea.

Easy DIY to whatever desired dimensions.  

Cinder block incinerators with chimneys are proven.

Need to devise easy/practical way of getting an EUC in and out of the protected space.

One side open with a metal hinged door?

[Funky]

15 minutes ago, Paul A said:

Cinder blocks, that is a good idea.

Easy DIY to whatever desired dimensions.  

Cinder block incinerators with chimneys are proven.

Need to devise easy/practical way of getting an EUC in and out of the protected space.

One side open with a metal hinged door?

Or you could simply remember your childhood and rebuild it each time.   Yes it will work and be pretty cheap.. But dam that's ugly as duck. And will use up a lot of space.