Preparing shipping containers for storage, workshop, garage etc

mr chips

Short version:
1) What are the practicalities involved in adding wiring to steel shipping containers to be used as workshop/storage?  All I really need is one access point from the exterior through which to feed cabling.  I assume drill fairly low down, maybe a foot or so from the floor ...?
2) Any tips for arranging adequate ventilation without compromising security in order to manage build-up of condensation internally which might cause iron/steel items to rust over time or cause damp/mould to appear on timber etc?
3) Would mounting additional hinged doors or a door frame on the exterior walls be as simple as welding fixing points in place?

Long version:
I have a decent area of flat ground that is just used for car parking at the moment. I had it cut out of a sloping section of ground last year and I'll soon have retaining walls built around two sides of it to make sure that none of the clay collapses/erodes over time. It's already been levelled and covered in 2" stone. Once the walls are done, it'll be about 40' by 30' in old money (12-13m wide and 9m deep).
My plan is to place steel shipping containers on this, with two 20ft containers parallel to one another along each of the 9m sides. One to serve mainly as storage for ladders, vehicle components and (thinking of the future) possibly a powerwall or similar in the corner.  The other to serve as a workshop for timber for the next time I want to build a polytunnel or similar.  My thought is that having these on either side would allow me 14-15 feet between them, which would be easily wide enough to park a couple of cars.
The third shipping container would be a "40 footer" craned on top of the rear of the other two at right angles to them, effectively bridging across them and partially roofing the car-parking space below. I would extend this "roof" over the parking area, possibly using a timber frame and polycarbonate or similar to let light in, and would like to fit doors to the outer skin of the two parallel containers, effectively creating a double garage between them.

So my questions are as above. Any suggestions or recommendations as to implementing or improving the concept would be welcome. To start with, I'll only be getting basic containers (i.e. floored but not otherwise prepared) to keep the budget down, and working on them as time allows. But this will be a much, much cheaper way of getting significant additional storage and work space than a traditional garage build. NB planning permission etc is not an issue, and I live in a rural location screened by trees and the natural rise of the ground so visual impact is virtually nil.

mr chips

Here's a very rough highly professional sketch of what it should be like, courtesy of MS Paint. 8-)

cletus

Maybe I've missed something really obvious here, but what the point of the 40' container running perpendicular to the two being used for workshop/storage

mr chips

Additional storage of bulkier items and potentially a small office for a business I'll be running on site.  For about half the length of the upper container, the floor would be more or less at the level of the ground at that point, so I haven't ruled out cutting a door and windows into that side of it in the future.  The lower pair will be solely for private/personal use and face towards the house.

mr chips

duplicate post

G-Man

How do you weatherproof the top of the containers to prevent rain pooling and rolling / blowing  in towards the insides.. 
Maybe put   man door inside your small doors- its  a divil to be working on car on a wet day and then constantly going outside to the other containers to fetch things etc.. and have doors swinging in the wind.

mr chips

I might put a false roof on them, but someone sent me a link which has given me some food for thought ... not sure how sturdy this would be in strong winds though.

http://www.kroftman.com/en_UK/container-shelters?gclid=CJPcxaXCjdYCFQMM0wod8vUPUA

NB I have no connection with this company, but might be a reasonably low cost way of doing what I want and just placing the third container in a different location.