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This is the story of how three used 20-foot shipping containers were turned into an epic waterfront off-grid tiny cabin in Portugal.
David from T-Rex Eco Container is an IT person with a passion for surfing. He wanted to create the perfect surf getaway for himself… So he built this incredible off-grid cabin in Portugal using three used 20-foot shipping containers.
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The result is this incredible waterfront tiny house made from recycled shipping containers!
Image © Exploring Alternatives
He decided to use shipping containers because they’re built and designed to withstand a harsh marine environment.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
He captures rainwater with gutters on a separate shed roof and pipes the water into an underground holding tank.
Then he uses a 12-volt pump to fill a smaller water tank on the roof of his shipping container shed, and that water is gravity fed into the cabin.
For hot water, he has a coiled black hose on the roof, and the water running through the hose is heated by the sun.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
The cabin has a large living room area with two couches and a drop leaf dining room table.
One of the couches doubles as a guest bed.
The shipping container doors can be opened from the outside to let light in through the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
The kitchen has a solar-powered fridge, a propane cooktop, and gravity-fed water in the sink.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
There are windows and doors on all sides of the cabin to let in lots of natural light and to provide great air circulation since Portugal gets very hot in the summer.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
A sideboard on the left and a shallow closet on the right provides additional storage for candles, books, and board games.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
The single bedroom is pretty spacious and has a double bed, a wardrobe, and a window for light and fresh air.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
Image © Exploring Alternatives
The bathroom looks and “feels” as though it’s on the grid, but the water is gravity-fed solar heated rainwater.
For a full tour of the shipping container cabin, watch the Exploring Alternatives video below!
VIDEO: Used 20ft Shipping Containers Turned Into Epic Off-Grid Cabin
Additional Resources
- Video Tour of the Off-Grid Container Cabin
- Staying in the Off-Grid Container Cabin
- More Exploring Alternatives Shipping Container Videos
Our big thanks to Exploring Alternatives for sharing!🙏
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This is a beautiful location–the space uses the location really well. It’s such a comfortable place.
like the design, but what I consider the real special aspect of this house is how off grid it is. it just demonstrates how you don’t need to be tied to the grid. Especailly like the water gathering aspect.