<p>One son will move in on Aug. 16th to a school 2.5 hours from home. The other son moves in on Aug. 17th - his college is another 2.5 hours farther. The first school is "on the way" to the second. </p>
<p>Should we rent a uhaul? </p>
<p>Or should we just pack the bare necessities for both boys in our car and then ship the rest?</p>
<p>How does shipping large packages to schools work? Is it efficient? Or do the students end up having to lug the packages a great distance to their rooms?</p>
<p>We have had a full SUV plus cartop carrier for our son for two dorm years, you will likely have double that, at least (if you don't take all the stuff you could buy there you will need the time to do that, easier to take it all, leave son to move in- they do not need or want you there once they have their stuff unloaded). I think it would be nice for them to have all of their stuff at once. Do they want to see the other one's school? With both of them in the car you will have less room for their stuff and incur hotel charges. The 2.5 hour trip is similar to ours, very easy to do in a day (or in our case, afternoon-evening by the time son was ready). I would consider making two separate trips, one with each son. Each one will get their day, no chance of mixing up stuff (and keeping things separate but packing efficiently could be a problem). You would face an extra 5 hours of driving, but packing your overnight bags, the cost of a hotel room and time spent with that would be more expensive and not really save you time. Also, with just one son you can unload and take him shopping for things you forgot or want to buy there, such as gatorade et al. If you take the U-Haul you will use a lot more gas, go more slowly and have to keep an eye on it if you unhitch it to go places around town. I know you are dreading all those miles on the same road, but you might consider yourselves lucky you only spend one (very full) weekend moving kids in instead of two. Consider your sons- they may not say anything, but especially for the first trip it is nice for it to be theirs alone, without it being tagged on to an older sibling's return. Move in day is always chaotic, you are much less likely to mistakenly take the second son's stuff if it isn't even there (imagine helpful people helping to unload the wrong items).</p>
<p>I'm facing the move home on Friday- this year H could do it, unlike last year, so we will use the cartop carrier, but without my packing expertise I know they wouldn't find room, and I want to visit the town again (guess who does the packing for trips- I always seem to find room when they can't). The space taken by a person is equivalent to a rooftop carrier's volume in our experience.</p>
<p>I'd rent the UHaul. With the cost of gas, I wouldn't come back 2.5 hours and then go out that same 2.5 hours plus another 2.5. Then with the additional 5 hours back, I personally would still need a hotel room for the second school, so coming home and going back wouldn't save me any money anyway. Ten hours driving, plus unloading would be a bit much. </p>
<p>So here would be my plan: Drive 2.5 hours to School 1, unload, say goodbye to Son 1, drive 2.5 hours to School 2 and stay over somewhere. Next day, unload, say goodbye to Son 2, drive the 5 hours home.</p>
<p>There are several dorm movers you can find on the Internet. I suggest looking at the price of these services. Some offer college curbside drop off. Be sure to contact your particular college to make sure what they allow.</p>
<p>It might be the most economical way to ship to the closer location and drive the stuff to the more distant one (if it can fit in your vehicle so you don't have to rent). </p>
<p>In my experience, driving and/or riding in a UHaul is not a pleasure experience, the gas mileage is HORRIBLE and it will be a real pain when you need to run to some store to get something you forgot.</p>
<p>You can ship a large wheeled suitcase via Fed Ex. When it arrives, no matter where it arrives, it would not be bad for your kid to get it to the dorm - it has wheels. Fed Ex says:</p>
<p>
[quote]
*Personal Effects *
If personal effects are packed in suitcases, etc., each suitcase, etc., must be locked. If keys are sent along with shipment they must be attached to the air waybill by means of an envelope.</p>
<p>Each item of baggage should be marked on the inside with name and home address of the owner and have a label or tag affixed to the outside with name and destination address. Personal effects cannot contain items of Extraordinary Value/Valuable Cargo nor Hazardous Material.
<p>I experimented with rates and distances and found I could ship a pretty big suitcase with 60 pounds of stuff in it via fed ex ground about 800 miles and it would take 3 days to arrive and cost $26. (Ship to the college where you can have the stuff delivered closest to the dorm the kid will be in.)</p>
<p>How about renting a van? Some companies like Enterprise have good rates on cargo van rentals and you can usually find discount codes on the internet/or coupons. The vans could come with unlimited milege, which would be great. The only thing I'm not sure about is how many people can fit in the van. We rented a van when my son was moving from one part of town to the other, and from what he had, we moved a small apartment. It all depends on how much crap they are taking.</p>
<p>Hubby's on his way up right now in a rented van to pick up d # 1 and then drive another half hour to get mucho things from d #2. D # 2 is graduating in 2 weeks and will return with the rest of her things in a few weeks. </p>
<p>we did the econoline from Enterprise one year- It was a good idea, as we had plenty of room. But the MAIN draw back, is that it only seats 2 passengers. I took a Greyhound to Cortland, and met hubby and d # 2 at school.<br>
A Van may work, but if it is filled with 3+ passengers, you are losing alot of cargo room. As only one kid and hubby making the trip back home, we should be ok with cargo space in the van.</p>
<p>What we have done every year, is get the kids up with basic stuff and stay in the area for a few days to SHOP and then drop it off at campus.<br>
We're lucky as both kids are near Finger Lake area in NYS, so I've had very nice vacations. I've also visited every (or so it seems) bed, bath and beyonds in the Syracuse and Rochester area. I think you can also order from local bb&b and pick up stuff in local store- so this way you don't have to shlep everything up with you.</p>
<p>I can tell you that even the Econoline could be a pain to park in a shopping center. We usually parked it in the back end of the lot with the other commercial vehicles. I would think a U-haul would be even more of an issue.</p>
<p>What are you taking? Both S and D moved to their schools (2+ days drive) in their own cars (toyota corollas) and had to have enough room for another passenger (me). S had a roof rack and D a bike rack but everything else they needed (minus bedding that we bought locally) fit. I would think about really how much they will need.</p>
<p>Some van rental companies have geographic restrictions as well as mileage. It may be a temptation to "cheat" by crossing a state line, but if there is any mechanical trouble with the rental and you call for roadside assistance to the company, you may get tagged for additional expenses. I don't know if OP is moving anyone out of state, but it is a consideration.</p>
<p>Another thing needs to be addressed. I know of a situation where someone rented an enclosed trailer to move stuff. You really need to know about insurance coverage. The trailer was stolen out of a motel parking lot. No insurance. Ouch!</p>
<p>We sent our kid off for a semester abroad with one 44 lb. suitcase, and it was ok. I think that people tend to substantially overestimate the amount of stuff from home that will be needed and will fit in a typical shared dorm room. Bed, Bath & Beyond offers a service where you can choose stuff at a local store and then arrange to pick it up at the store nearest your school. Target in our area actually runs a bus between the dorms and the Target to facilitate kids buying what they need. When people start mentioning stuffed mini-vans and U-hauls, I begin to wonder how big they think that dorm room will be?</p>
<p>As a veteran of the 4 hr each way college drive, this would be my plan:</p>
<p>Day 0, Drive S1 to College 2.5 hrs away.
Stay over, unpack in morning of Day 1, drive home.
Meanwhile, S2 has packed and readied for the trip on Day 2.
Day 2, drive S2 5 hours. Unpack. Stay over.
Drive home on Day3. Perhaps stop and visit S1 "on the way".</p>
<p>I would also allow the S-group to help with the driving. </p>
<p>I think my issue is that I have more money than energy for driving and moving. Your mileage may vary!</p>
<p>Whether this can be done in the vehicles the parents currently drive or whether it will be necessary for either or both parents to rent larger vehicles depends on how much stuff each kid has and how good the shipping arrangements are at the colleges (which you may not know for a while).</p>
<p>My daughter's college had a special arrangement with a company that delivered packages to dorm rooms before the freshmen arrived (the packages had to be shipped about 10 days in advance). It worked great, but you paid through the nose for the privilege. Renting a larger vehicle would have been cheaper.</p>
<p>"Some van rental companies have geographic restrictions as well as mileage. It may be a temptation to "cheat" by crossing a state line, but if there is any mechanical trouble with the rental and you call for roadside assistance to the company, you may get tagged for additional expenses. I don't know if OP is moving anyone out of state, but it is a consideration."</p>
<p>Be aware that some rental companies have GPS equipment that tells them exactly where you have been.</p>
<p>I am thrilled to hear about $26 for a suitcase - the airlines will charge you more plus you have to haul it.
Now if my darling will just manage to get her stuff into boxes/bins/whatever in the next 48 hours, my life this semester will be complete!</p>
<p>How about letting one of them move himself? My d. is going 3,000 miles away, and thinks nothing of moving herself in. She'll ship the minimum she needs, and buy the rest when she gets there.</p>
<p>mini's idea would work well for a student who will have some time to shop during the first week and who is going to a reasonably large community, with good shopping available.</p>
<p>But perhaps for a kid who has Orientation just before classes start, with no free time, or for one who is going to a small town where the shopping opportunities are not as good as they are at home, it would not work so well.</p>
<p>Will either of your kids have a car at college? Having a car would make self-moving easier.</p>
<p>The problem with "take what you need, buy the rest there" is what if the kid's returning to school? We did the "buy the rest there" last year; now we have it, and I'm sure as heck not buying it again! Gotta get it back to school somehow!</p>
<p>Lots of good ideas here. My kid is going to school many miles from home. We shall go minimal and buy what we can there and use storage for the summer. </p>
<p>For the two boys, I would do a one way rental of either a van or UHAUL and take the stuff for S1, then S2 and then fly home once relieved of the boys and junk. I have done that with my other boys who are a long drivable distance from home. When I pick up for the summer, fly into the town, rent a car, one way, we pack it up and then head home, sharing the drive. Works well and is comparable or cheaper than flying both ways. </p>
<p>For a dorm room, you really do not need much. I ordered the linens through a flyer the college sent, bought the computer from the college shop so those items were there already. The problem comes when they move into an apartment and get attached to the junk in it and want it stored at home at times, but that is a whole different story. Most colleges have summer storage of sorts, or you can rent a small storage unit off campus. There never has been much with my kids. I think with the computer taking over the stereo systems, tv, etc, there just isn't as much junk to haul.</p>
<p>One thing that no one else has suggested is others going to the same school from your area. Assuming there are some people, sometimes they have room for a box or suitcase. Years ago an upperclass fellow from my college delivered my trunk from home to me at my dorm. He had stored his stuff at his fraternity, and had a jeep. Just a thought.</p>
<p>i moved two to the same school 6 hrs away but one could move in a day earlier than the other....and here is how i did it.
I rented a mini van with stow and go seats. One car was going as well.
I had D2 pack her car with as much as she could leaving front seats empty....
larger stuff went in van. D1 packed her stuff in van. D1 and I drove on up and moved her stuff in. D2 followed next day with her car and brother 15 for muscle....
We considered storage near campus but figured we had to still move from point a-b....storage was about 300 for summer. Instead rented said van again and moved it all back here the same way. ahem. I did tell D2 to leave the futon sofa for others and her carpet that was trashed. (she is in an apt this coming year). Be careful with your back. It really was a strain and I ended up having a short term relationship with a chiro. after the two moves.</p>