SemiTrailer grow

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tyepoe

Well-Known Member
So I was wondering about shipping containers since I hear they are becoming the more popular and inexpensive way of getting a professional grow space.

Since shipping a shipping container can get expensive, I figure putting out a few more dollars to get a semi trailer which can be transported easily, would be better and more cost effective over time.

Anyway my main question is between the normal and refrigerated semi trailer. Would it be more efficient to get a $1,500 - $2k semitrailer and install a minisplit AC, or buy a $3k - 5k refrigerated semitrailer which will already have a industrial AC and be insulated.

I think if u could find a refrigerated one cheap enough it would be the better deal, but are those AC's made for growing? Are they cost effective for the grow itself? Do minisplits draw more or less energy and cool a grow better or worse than a refrigerated trailer AC would?
 
WeedFreak78

WeedFreak78

Well-Known Member
Look into salvage auctions/military auctions. My neighbor bought a 2003 ford 14' straight box truck for $800 at an auction, he said reefers were going around $1200...that's the whole truck..you could pull the box off( appx 14'L x 8'W x 8'H on that truck),sell the rest and probably make money on that part of it..or leave it together and have a mobile grow room..just set it up with a single power cord feed you can plug in where ever you go. Like you i was thinking of dropping one next to my garage..would just look like more storage around my yard
 
dadio161

dadio161

Well-Known Member
as a truck driver , I have to tell you that a refer trailer has a 50 gallon fuel tank that runs on diesel fuel . You will have to refill it every two days. Diesel fuel costs $2.80 a gallon right now and can/will go up.
Major cost.
 
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deadgro

Well-Known Member
A semi truck is a little conspicuous, don't you think? Itd be cheaper to buy the plywood trailers are made of and build a box.
 
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GrowUrOwnDank

Well-Known Member
dadio161 said:
as a truck driver , I have to tell you that a refer trailer has a 50 gallon fuel tank that runs on diesel fuel . You will have to refill it every two days. Diesel fuel costs $2.80 a gallon right now and can/will go up.
Major cost.
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I agree. Probably not a good idea on the reefer. I remember in the summer time if I had a load that needed to stay at 20 below, like fish or ice cream, would have to fill it up everyday. It would run literally 24/7. I would probably just build or buy a shed and go with AC. No experience with a mini split. But, check this out. Looks expensive but also, very efficient.
 
dadio161

dadio161

Well-Known Member
Best bet is said above.
Buy a shed , insulate it and put in a window A/C .
Easy to customize . Easy to manage .
 
S

Soulkipper

Active Member
I think you're going to have way too much marijuana. If you don't plan on selling it then a perpetual small grow is more than enough... Constant flowering so 12/12 or 11/13 or 2+ plants flowering all the time 12/12 or 11/13 will get you 5 or 10 harvests each year @ 10weeks flowering. Then you just need to keep your veg room booming and some extra clones. I'm talking a very minimal cost for a lifetime supply of weed before your lights even burn out once.

  • A mover would allow you to grow more plants per light.
  • Height of plant will substantially add to yields (10+week veg). Consider that a plant started in 12/12 or only vegging for 2-4 weeks will only have maybe 5-6 nodes and maybe a couple internodes on each, maybe. Whereas a perpetual grow with plants cycling in each week, month, or cycle, will have 8-16 weeks of veg and will have easily 10x yields. 500g vs 50g. Don't forget pruning and training the plants can take a month easily. Those 2-4wk. grows don't offer much flexibility.
  • All-in-all, you don't need a large space to grow for a small group of people. You need to consume what you grow before it spoils or forces you to make hash/edibles from bud which will yield you anywhere from 1/10th the weight to less or more, but changes the dynamic somewhat.
What you want to look at is the laws that govern how you actually do it without problems. Usually things have to be completely secure and that may include smells, heat, fire, hazards, wastes, conspicuous nature of the project, and amt of plants.

I believe you need to really check with your consumption #'s once more.
5-10 harvested plants could be thousands of grams per year. That could be done with any type of lights for < $1/day
 
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tyepoe

Well-Known Member
Hey thanks guys. I was curious with the refer trucks about the AC, I wouldn't get one if I had to fill it up with gas as that wouldn't be efficient. I was wondering if I could find a way to hook that refridge unit into a main electrical panel I would have installed? Im not worried about being inconspicuous as im doing a legal collective grow and would need to find compliant land to put it on anyway... also it may turn into a rec grow in WA state and have heard others have had their shipping containers / trailers approved for rec grows but if anything it would be perfect for a medical collective grow.

My main question would be if the AC units in the refer trucks are legit for growing, would it be more or less costly to buy a 5k - 6k refer truck with insulation and AC, or buy a dry / regular trailer and customize it with minisplit and insulation(which it sounds like you guys are saying is a better idea.)

I was also wondering about airflow. In a semi trailer it would have to be a closed system yea? I was thinking I could drill out a exhaust hole at the top but that would not only fuck the resale value but also make it more prone to someone breaking in... just wondering about your thoughts on how to make a trailer a open air system as opposed to closed... its just so much easier to deal with heat when you can expell through a outtake as opposed to having a ton of 600 - 1000w lamps u need to cool with only AC and closed system... so much more money in cooling in a closed system

That video was fking incredible too thanks btw!
 
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GrowUrOwnDank

Well-Known Member
tyepoe said:
Hey thanks guys. I was curious with the refer trucks about the AC, I wouldn't get one if I had to fill it up with gas as that wouldn't be efficient. I was wondering if I could find a way to hook that refridge unit into a main electrical panel I would have installed? Im not worried about being inconspicuous as im doing a legal collective grow and would need to find compliant land to put it on anyway... also it may turn into a rec grow in WA state and have heard others have had their shipping containers / trailers approved for rec grows but if anything it would be perfect for a medical collective grow.

My main question would be if the AC units in the refer trucks are legit for growing, would it be more or less costly to buy a 5k - 6k refer truck with insulation and AC, or buy a dry / regular trailer and customize it with minisplit and insulation(which it sounds like you guys are saying is a better idea.)

I was also wondering about airflow. In a semi trailer it would have to be a closed system yea? I was thinking I could drill out a exhaust hole at the top but that would not only fuck the resale value but also make it more prone to someone breaking in... just wondering about your thoughts on how to make a trailer a open air system as opposed to closed... its just so much easier to deal with heat when you can expell through a outtake as opposed to having a ton of 600 - 1000w lamps u need to cool with only AC and closed system... so much more money in cooling in a closed system

That video was fking incredible too thanks btw!
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The motor in a 53 ft reefer trailer is a four cylinder desiel engine. I am sure they have smaller ones tho. They are very powerful. Imagine keeping skids of ice cream frozen in the Nevada desert in the middle of summer. I mean you could probably make it work. I dunno. But check out this vid I just came across.
 
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tyepoe

Well-Known Member
Ya I've seen that video... They're aren't a lot, but there are some videos out there of shipping container grows. I was talking to an agent thats helping advise me get a grow started here in WA and she is saying shipping containers are getting really popular for growers. They are also cheaper than a semi trailer because you don't have the trailer part of-course. However, with a semi-trailer you have the option to move it whenever you want, where-as a shipping container by itself would cost thousands to move... and I could get a 50ft dry semi trailer for somewhere between $1,500 and $3000...

Here is exactly what I want!

Like I said before if the AC unit that comes with a refer is only powered by gas that would be completely inefficient and I wouldn't even consider it... however if there is a way to power the AC that comes with a refer to the electrical supply I need to have installed anyway, that might work... however at that point I am wondering how efficient refer AC's are compared to minisplits....

I found this one company still in production making grow rooms from trailers, but they cost upwards of 60k which is completely insane considering you could buy a trailer for 2k , minisplit 2k, all grow related equipment 10k tops... link below for that company

http://www.growtrucks.com/home.html
 
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GrowUrOwnDank

Well-Known Member
tyepoe said:
Ya I've seen that video... They're aren't a lot, but there are some videos out there of shipping container grows. I was talking to an agent thats helping advise me get a grow started here in WA and she is saying shipping containers are getting really popular for growers. They are also cheaper than a semi trailer because you don't have the trailer part of-course. However, with a semi-trailer you have the option to move it whenever you want, where-as a shipping container by itself would cost thousands to move... and I could get a 50ft dry semi trailer for somewhere between $1,500 and $3000...

Here is exactly what I want!

Like I said before if the AC unit that comes with a refer is only powered by gas that would be completely inefficient and I wouldn't even consider it... however if there is a way to power the AC that comes with a refer to the electrical supply I need to have installed anyway, that might work... however at that point I am wondering how efficient refer AC's are compared to minisplits....

I found this one company still in production making grow rooms from trailers, but they cost upwards of 60k which is completely insane considering you could buy a trailer for 2k , minisplit 2k, all grow related equipment 10k tops... link below for that company

http://www.growtrucks.com/home.html
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The guy did a great job on that trailer in the vid. Sounds like a good idea too. Good luck.
 
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BigManinMaine

Member
trailer vs. container may have other variables. consider that the reefer ac may not burn much diesel at all when it is only "refrigerating" to 75* or so, not freezing ice in the dessert..Also, used reefers that don't pass federal safety inspection can be pretty cheap, while still having a good reefer unit. they have a limited market when needing tires and brakes, but any old container is usually $2,000 and up plus delivery no matter what its shape. either way, you're probably not moving either one with your f150, so hiring a tractor to move your uninspected/unregistered trailer, or a lowboy for the container, may not cost a great difference. Also consider that containers are not unusual in most places, but a trailer has much more limited zoning accommodations.
But how can you not be biased to the one that is called a REEFER?
 
WeedFreak78

WeedFreak78

Well-Known Member
BigManinMaine said:
trailer vs. container may have other variables. consider that the reefer ac may not burn much diesel at all when it is only "refrigerating" to 75* or so, not freezing ice in the dessert..Also, used reefers that don't pass federal safety inspection can be pretty cheap, while still having a good reefer unit. they have a limited market when needing tires and brakes, but any old container is usually $2,000 and up plus delivery no matter what its shape. either way, you're probably not moving either one with your f150, so hiring a tractor to move your uninspected/unregistered trailer, or a lowboy for the container, may not cost a great difference. Also consider that containers are not unusual in most places, but a trailer has much more limited zoning accommodations.
But how can you not be biased to the one that is called a REEFER?
Click to expand...
You're from Maine..you know at least 5 people that would hook a TT box to a F150..don't lie..:lol:
 
G

GrowUrOwnDank

Well-Known Member
BigManinMaine said:
trailer vs. container may have other variables. consider that the reefer ac may not burn much diesel at all when it is only "refrigerating" to 75* or so, not freezing ice in the dessert..Also, used reefers that don't pass federal safety inspection can be pretty cheap, while still having a good reefer unit. they have a limited market when needing tires and brakes, but any old container is usually $2,000 and up plus delivery no matter what its shape. either way, you're probably not moving either one with your f150, so hiring a tractor to move your uninspected/unregistered trailer, or a lowboy for the container, may not cost a great difference. Also consider that containers are not unusual in most places, but a trailer has much more limited zoning accommodations.
But how can you not be biased to the one that is called a REEFER?
Click to expand...
LOL. I don't think using the reefer unit would be very efficient. Although I do agree with some of what you say. Still gonna need a battery. It will pop on and off a lot with a set temp like 70 or 75. It will require regular maintenance. Notice in the video above of the reefer trailer the OP linked, it was a reefer but the guy elected to use mini split units instead of the unit on the trailer. Like I said, the reefer unit is a good idea, it will heat or cool to maintain a certain temp. I just think it was built to handle extremes like keeping ice cream cold in 130 degree temps. Not merely maintaining indoor temps. I dunno. I wouldn't do it. But hey. It is a good idea.
 
Tented

Tented

Member
Mini split would be the way to go if you did decide to get a trailer. The reefer units are spendy to get repaired when they break. It happens. They also use a shoot on the ceiling to get cold air to the back of the trailer so not sure how they would do w/o that. I think they are also designed with the idea of it having a lot of the air space being occupied with cargo. They run hard to cool an empty trailer and that is w/o heat being generated in it.
 
Buddernugs

Buddernugs

Well-Known Member
There’s a few people that have buried multiple shipping containers deep in the ground the thing is the fact that they’re in the ground……..these people are not talking so good luck
 
Buddernugs

Buddernugs

Well-Known Member
It can be done though with the right equipment I hear managing your temps is hard to do because it’s surrounded by infinite insulation however fighting humidity is going to be your biggest thing especially after a heavy rain unless you water seal that entire thing and I mean a 100% seal
 
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