<p>Just wondering, our only child, a daughter, is going to be Freshman at Cal Poly this Fall. We’re so excited as she embarks on this new and exciting time in her life, but since we are newbies when it comes to this whole college move-in day experience, we were just wondering if anyone else is bringing a u-haul trailer. It seems like she has quite a bit of stuff to move, and since we only have an SUV…we’re nervous about everything fitting in the back or even the top of the Jeep. We thought having a small trailer would help immensely! My daughter doesn’t want us to rent one though, because she said on the website, they don’t recommend them…and she doesn’t want to be the only one with a trailer. “How embarrassing” she said, if we were the only ones. So, we were just wondering, how many people still bring them? Anyway, if anyone has experience and could let us know about Cal Poly move-in day, specifically, if anyone else rents small U-Haul trailers…that would be terrific! Thanks! :)</p>
<p>I really wouldn’t. Parking will be limited, and I didn’t see any last year.
If your suv has a trailer hitch, you might consider a Hitch box, but really I’d just suggest taking less stuff.</p>
<p>My son didn’t use half the stuff he took last year. He was on the third floor of Santa Lucia, which by the way has no elevators. It wasn’t fun moving in or out. This year it will probably be 2-3 boxes and a rolling suitcase for his clothes.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine your daughter would have so much stuff it wouldn’t be able to fit in the back of an SUV. My dad and I are going up in our car and all of my stuff fits in the back seat. maybe go through the stuff she’s bringing and make sure you really need all of it. It’s difficult but I cut out things I don’t absolutely need and now everything fits into two bins, a box, and a suitcase plus a few extra items.</p>
<p>We just have a small Honda CR-V without a roof rack. My daughter will be bringing her clunky cruiser bike and we’re taking a non- folding hand cart. So my husband is driving his small pick up truck for those kinds of things. The rest will have to fit in the CR-V. She seems to think she needs LOTS of shoes. Well, maybe she’ll learn to pare it down for next year. ;)</p>
<p>If you plan on visiting her during parents’ weekend or anytime after move-in, you could bring some of her things then. I would have her put aside the items that she thinks she’ll need when the weather changes, etc. and worry about them later.</p>
<p>Have you seen the dorm rooms? They are not tiny but I can’t imagine that one would ever bring enough stuff to need a trailer. My son moved into a furnished apartment and we easily fit his stuff into our SUV.</p>
<p>I think it’s more likely you’ll need the U Haul in a month or so to haul away the stuff she realizes she doesn’t need or can’t find a spot for. Not trying to be rude, just honest. D1 at another school two years ago had me bring an extra bag to Parent’s Weekend to remove a lot of things (mainly clothes and shoes) she had brought two months earlier!</p>
<p>I understand your thinking about a U-Haul trailer, but I agree with the other posts that it shouldn’t be neccessary. I also agree with your daughter “how embarassing!”. Unless you are bringing large furniture, you should be able to fit your things into an SUV, even a small one. Is she living in Cerro Vista? My son is going there, so we are bringing quite a lot of things since he has his own room and then the stuff for the kitchen. My husband says it can fit in our SUV (it is a suburban) and on the roof rack. What is tough is fitting in the bike if you don’t have a rack. We have one for the back of the car. If you are really unable to fit everything into your SUV, which may be a small one, perhaps you can borrow a friend’s larger car. Anything to avoid 2 cars or bringing a trailer. If she is staying in the regular dorms, she really shouldn’t be bringing that much stuff. There just isn’t room. Of course girls do like to bring a lot of clothes and shoes!</p>
<p>Good luck to you and I hope move in goes well. Bringing your only daughter to Cal Poly must be exciting and a bit sad as well. At least you know she is going to a wonderful school in a great town!</p>
<p>As for *our *situation, since we don’t have the external racks, there is just no possible way we can fit her bike and the hand cart inside our CR-V. My husband doesn’t think we need the hand cart, but it seems to me it would be easier hauling it over to her dorm. Of course, there are no elevators and since she’s on the 3rd floor, it might be cumbersome pulling the cart UP the stairs. But, even if we can use it to at least get from our car to the residence hall…that will be a big help. </p>
<p>Anyway, for us, it will have to be two vehicles. I certainly don’t want to make two trips. I know she’ll want her bike right away, so I don’t want to wait until Parents’ Weekend. </p>
<p>I agree about a U-Haul, though. That would seem like overkill for a dorm or apt. room.</p>
<p>instead rent a big mini van which will look normal and pack it to the top!</p>
<p>I thought my daughter was taking too much. After reading these posts I now see she is about average! Were going to fit her stuff, including a bike, into our minivan for the drive down from Seattle. And like 2Leashes I keep wondering, why so many shoes?</p>
<p>**daduni said: instead rent a big mini van which will look normal and pack it to the top!
**</p>
<p>That’s what I wish *we *could do. When I called around to different rental agencies, the cost was *ridiculous! * I didn’t mention mini van specifically, but they knew I wanted something on the smaller side vs a larger moving truck. It will still be cheaper to drive both of our vehicles than renting something. Gee, it seems when we rented a small U-Haul truck in the early '90s to move our older daughter to her college apt. it was cheap! In fact, we brought our sedan, as well, and dropped off the truck there and drove home in the car.</p>
<p>They have hand carts you can check out. We were able to get one quickly last year but we may have just gotten lucky.</p>
<p>I just met the parents of the friend of my older child (D, 21, at Cornell) who rented a mini van to bring her child’s stuff from southern NY state. This apparently worked out pretty well, but she said it did cost a lot. </p>
<p>When my D moved her stuff there, I sent it on Amtrak, which cost me something like $110 to ship 9 boxes - and that was pretty much all she had, clothes and other stuff included. I thought it was a lot of stuff, but was very surprised to see <em>many</em> U-hauls in evidence when we arrived! Kids bring a lot more to college than in my day, that is for sure.</p>
<p>Moving away to college is a good time to simplify.</p>