<p>I'm looking for advice. My DD is moving into a dorm at Simmons College this Fall. We live in NJ so we will be driving. We will have four plus basic dorm and fall but not heavy winter clothes. We will have to rent a vehicle. Do we want mini van or Durango? Our hotel in Arlington has free parking under the hotel. </p>
<p>Thanks CC for fielding this one.</p>
<p>I’d say whatever your stuff fits in that you can get at the best price.</p>
<p>We had a minivan for DS#1’s move-in. It was fine. By the time we too DS#2 we had a crossover which was a little tight, even with one less passenger. Used a big durango-sized vehicle on a recent ski trip-- it was more than we needed.</p>
<p>Your daughter needs much, much less than either of you thinks she needs. My own experience (7years of move in days so far) has been whatever they bring at move-in day multiplies exponentially during the year. </p>
<p>We moved two kids in and out of dorms for 6 years in a mini van (S had an off campus apartment for 2 years, so we didn’t have to keep moving things). Loved that thing! It was amazing how much we could get into it. We have since moved on to a Honda Pilot which can hold a lot (twin mattress and box spring, plus some other items), but I still think the mini van held more.</p>
<p>Why not the full on box truck? I am sure you can get one from U-Haul. After all, she not only needs the entire contents of her room at home, but at least half the stuff from your kitchen, and several items out of your family room. Plus whatever you can bag at BedBathBeyond, Target, and Ikea on her graduation money.</p>
<p>And there is nothing NOTHING available for purchase in Boston. She is going to the back of beyond for FOUR years and must take EVERYTHING (simply everything) with her for freshman move-in.</p>
<p>I hope you realize I am kidding. I would rent the vehicle you are most comfortable driving. If it doesn’t fit, it stays home.</p>
<p>The mini-van will probably hold more. Bring clothes up already on hangers (cover with plastic garbage bags) and other clothes and shoes in under-bed storage drawer- bins to reduce unpacking. If you’re not sure she’ll need it, leave it at home; regular UPS ships to Boston from NJ in one day. Luggage takes a lot of room so use plastic garbage bags for bedding, etc. A cheap foldable hand-truck is nice to have to help get stuff in and out of the dorm quickly. Good luck!</p>
<p>mini van</p>
<p>Take my son’s advice. Put EVERYTHING your daughter THINKS she needs in one room. Only take half of that to college. She will on,y use half of what she takes!</p>
<p>Get the vehicle that costs the least. It really doesn’t matter what it is. </p>
<p>Freshman year, four of us moved DS to Boston in a small minivan. By the time he was a senior, we could move him in our Volvo. And NO, he wasn’t leaving stuff in Boston. He just took what he used.</p>
<p>Evergreen, there is a Bed, Bath & Beyond basically across the street from Simmons. If you are purchasing a lot of dorm stuff from them, why don’t you use their “pack, ship & hold” service and just pick it up when you are in Boston? That way, you could certainly use a smaller vehicle and still have plenty of room.</p>
<p>Moved my daughter back and forth freshman year in a regular car (elantra) - coming home at the end of the year wa a very tight squeeze (multiple seasons of clothes and just too much stuff I had sent during the year.)</p>
<p>For sophomore year, my daughter had a room with a kitchen so we had more stuff to bring (pots, plates, etc.) and we got it all into a RAV4 with no problem (room to spare). </p>
<p>If she moves off-campus and we have to include furniture I guess we will have to go with the rental truck!</p>
<p>Mini van. </p>
<p>Oh, and don’t buy anything from Bed Bath and Beyond until you get their 50% off coupon in the mail. They seem to know when you have a college freshman and will send it to you in August.</p>
<p>And I echo the others: she will need about half of what she thinks she does.</p>
<p>You need a 50% off coupon for EACH item you purchase…unless you hit the jackpot with one of their 50% off entire purchase coupons. </p>
<p>Re: furniture for an off campus apartment…(sorry to derail the thread), if your kiddo moves off campus, see if she can buy the furniture from the tenants who are moving OUT. Both of my kids did this and it was a win-win.</p>
<p>Thanks to you all. Mini van it is. </p>
<p>Cnp55: believe it or not, my D and I tend to be minimalists. That’s why the cars we own are small. I do believe in amazon and I hate shopping in Boston for anything except books. My concern was more about 4 passengers and cargo and parking in the Fens. </p>
<p>Njsue: thanks for the heads up on luggage</p>
<p>I’d definitely go for a minivan where the seats fold down into the ground. Just leave up the number of seats you need and fold everything else down. For better or worse, my D fills up a van every trip back and forth to college. It is worth it to us to rent the van and have enough space that to start cramming things in and yelling at each other every trip!</p>
<p>Unless they’ve changed since we had one, Durangos look big on the outside but are surprisingly small on the inside. I agree with the others—opt for the mini-van. </p>
<p>@momof3sons OMG there is a BBB right there! How could I have missed that on all the pre decision trips. Must have been the traffic LOL. perfect</p>
<p>Evergreen1929, if you are short, the other advantage of the minivan is that the storage area is lower and easier to reach than in the Durango. Which is also why it holds a lot more even though the vehicles are similar in outside dimensions.</p>
<p>Between a minivan and a similar exterior-size SUV, the minivan generally tends to win in terms of cargo space and accessibility.</p>
<p>We traded in our Odyssey for a Pilot and while I love the new car, that mini-van could hold an amazing amount, including large goats.</p>