Nuts and Bolts

Part 5 of series about living in a conex.  Part 4 was here.  Next up right here.

I've got all this in my head.  It's a matter of getting it into print.

Now, how do you put this conex into the ground?  I'm think you dig about a 40 foot long hole with a ramp at ground level that goes down into it.  The ramp will be needed for a big vehicle that will go down the ramp and deposit the conex into the hole.  The hole will be about 8 feet deep, 10 feet wide, and 40 feet long ( plus the ramp).  May want to use gravel for the ramp so the big truck won't sink down into the soft ground and get stuck.

I see these big trucks exchanging out these big trash dumpster thingies all the time.  The nuts and bolts of doing that is no biggie.  The conex is a lot like a big dumpster thingie.  Question:  You will want the sliding door to be on top, not on the side.  This means you'll have to lay it sideways.  Can this work?  Answer:  I'm not sure.  If not, you'll have to alter the conex so that it can be accessed from above.

Now, what about filling up the conex will furnishings and everything?  That will be done through the doors of the conex.  Finally, there will be a porta-can that will serve as a bathroom.  The wastes will be processed as indicated in an earlier post.  You will have access to the "can" from the door of the conex.  The "bathroom" will be a different room altogether, just like in a conventional home.

The ramp will be filled in after all the interior work is done.  When everything is done, there will be an opening from above that allows entry into the conex.  I'm thinking a narrow staircase like I see when I go on a delivery to Jones Hall here in Houston.  They've got one of those kind of staircases there.  ( The general public won't see this, as it is accessible to employees and contractors like me only ).  A narrow staircase won't take up much space and will allow an old fart like me to not have to climb up a ladder.

As far as all that dirt that has to be removed, I'm thinking a lot of it can go right back where you took it out.  But there will be plenty left over.  What to do with that?  Don't know yet, but I'll think of something.  You want everything to look as good as possible and be functional.

Ergonomically, it may be uncomfortably like a trailer park home.  One advantage is that it will not be in a trailer park if I can help it.  Secondly, it will be cheaper as a trailer home is too darn expensive to run the climate controls.  That's why it's being buried.  If burying it isn't possible, it's a show stopper.

The nuts and bolts of making a big hole like this will require some thought as well.  You don't want a cave in, so it will have to be reinforced.

The timetable to all this?  I've got several years before I retire.  It's possible to go at this slowly and then pick up the pace once I get near that age.  Lots of stuff can happen before then, though.  I'm thinking the final financial analysis should take place before I start committing funds and time on it.

Lots of things can and do happen that can change the timetable.  On the short end, I could start occupying it in less than a year.

The preliminary study only requires that financial analysis.  I have to figure out if I can afford it.  Even with the money saved by doing it this way, I still may be short on funds.

Update:

A preliminary analysis  ( very preliminary ) shows that it will get a lot easier when I start getting those SS checks.  Before that time, it will be a challenge.