It looks like I am about to drive my kid and a whole vehicle full of clothes, bedding and kitchen items across the country just before they start school.
We were thinking of renting a car, filling it with the bins/boxes, and taking about six days.
Already this sounds like a National Lampoon movie. Any and all advice is welcome re: driving strategies, overnight stay savvy, and avoiding the vehicle contents getting stolen.
Thanks, and please keep any laughter low enough for me not to hear!
Clothes, bedding, and kitchen items seem like they can be bought at the destination, shipped to the destination, or order purchased for delivery at the destination.
I’ve done a couple of cross country trips with my D helping her move.
If you are renting a car, see if you can get an SUV with tinted windows and a cargo cover so things aren’t visible. Don’t put the back seats down. Our MO is to keep the non valuables in the trunk and to take the visible stuff/valuables into the hotel with us at night. We just grab a valet cart and it isn’t that big of a deal to bring stuff in at night. Park as close to the hotel entrance as you can in a very well lit area.
We usually try not to drive more than 8 hours/day and just take our time. Mapping out where we are stopping/eating is helpful too ; ).
Enjoy the trip! I’ve found some of the best conversations happen in the car!
PS. I drive one way with my D, and then fly home.
Yes, that would make things infinitely easier! These are items that my kid would like to keep and use.
Shipping books seems cheapest with USPS. Boxes that are 70 lbs max can be shipped for about $55 (must contain books only and be small, lift-able). We went in person to check out a U-Haul U-Box, but it is way bigger than what we need (cost was $1,700 to start, plus a monthly storage fee of about $70 that we’d use for only a month as school starts mid-August).
@momofboiler1 Great to hear about your experience. Sounds like you had a very special time.
I am hoping that the road trip will be a great way to spend time before college starts.
Your tips about the tinted windows, seats make sense. I thought about bringing in stuff at night to a hotel.
My kid just thought with the cost of shipping and flights back to the home state, a road trip would be within the same price range - only with an adventure tacked on. The kid has always wanted to do one - in this case, necessity is the mother of all invention!
If you are sending them book rate, just understand…that can take a LONG time for delivery…like…weeks. We know this first hand.
When we moved our kid cross country, we actually flew southwest, and took four checked bags. Everything that didn’t fit in those bags and our carryon bags was purchased at the college site.
We moved two kids from the north east to the south east for grad/professional programs. We rented vans for those trips because we also had to drive home. We took out all but the number of seats we needed for the people…and filled the things to the top. Everything was in bins, except linens and clothes which were in large plastic garbage bags. It worked fine.
Same advice as above. 8 hours max driving in a day.
@thumper1 Thanks for the heads-up. Luckily the books are mine and are not on a deadline to make it back home. In fact, the later the better as I sort out the kid’s move with them!
When you moved the two kids, what type of rental van did you use? I am looking for comfort and think we can pare things down enough to fit in a large SUV-type of vehicle. (We have the Costco storage bins that are black with yellow tops.)
Just a note - if it doesn’t fit in an SUV, it likely won’t fit in the dorm ; )
For kid one, we still had our Mazda MPV…so we used that. Kid was driving a car too that also was filled. So we had just the two front seats in the van.
For kid two, we actually rented a cargo van. It wasn’t fancy and it wasn’t like riding in my Volvo, but that kid was going to be there for four years, and we were taking furniture, a full kitchen of stuff, and lots of house decor and things like lamps, rugs, etc. Again, the kid was driving a car, and we took turns driving the van.
They also make 15 passenger vans…which unfortunately were not available for kid 2 move or that’s what we would have gotten.
Are you driving one way?
Actually, if it doesn’t fit in the trunk to a car and a full back seat, it’s going to be tight in a dorm room.
ETA, when we did the north to south moves, our kids were moving into apartments.
When we moved kid two cross country for undergrad, we really pared down what she took…and that was smart.
Is there some reason why you aren’t flying?
If space in the vehicle is a concern, you may want to consider renting a mini-van like a Chrysler Pacifica over a SUV. Less expensive, easier to book, and much more cargo room.
One way rentals are pricey, really pricey. . You might consider driving both ways if you have time.
Honestly flying on a Southwest - you’d get four suitcases free for two or six for free and would be easier. And you can supplement with purchases when you get there. If southwest isn’t convenient to the school, even if it’s a few hr drive it’d be worth it. You can keep your rental for a few days and explore the school region for last minute family time.
If you do drive, don’t put aunt Edna on the roof!!
Good luck
We are driving one-way. We live in California, but the kid spent a huge amount of time away from home training. So to afford this, we had a small apartment across the street from the training facility, and never had a car there. Rented sporadically. (For anyone else doing this, try to have your own car away from home. Don’t “tough it out” like we did. It really is essential.) So the kid will be going to school in the home state. Can drive home for holidays. My spouse is thrilled (not doing well with the empty-nest thing, and is going to need a lot of support come mid-August).
So we are selling/donating all of the furniture. Have family clothes, books, a full set of kitchen tools (my kid insists that all 9 cast iron pans are coming to college with them). I have a fabulous sewing cabinet and three sewing machines here, too. Leaving the cabinet is going to kill the two of us!
I really appreciate the discussion of mini-van versus SUV. I know nothing about such distinctions so please, tell me more!
@tsbna44 This is where my inexperience is showing. I didn’t think about one-way vehicle rentals being a premium (every move in my life was either my parents helping or done corporately).
Hmmm. If they’re in a dorm, even if the floor has a kitchen, why would they need 9 pans ? They’ll eat in the dining hall. Even if they don’t think they will, they will bcuz time will be at a premium.
Sounds already like you are over packing.
I’d hold stuff back and if a month in, they need it then ship it.
Will this student be living in an apartment…
And are you moving to this college location also? I’m a little confused. You say your student will be going to school in the home state…but you say your home state is CA.
It sort of sounds like you are relocating. Is that what’s happening?
@tsbna44 Our situation is unique in that we are essentially moving out of a true pied-Ă -terre from across the country back to our home state. We will be dropping stuff off at the family home, and then driving college items to the dorm a week later.
The strategy is to have my kid pack their college bins here, so we don’t have to re-pack much at home.
My kid can take 5 pans (they really are all different sizes!). The rest stay with us!
I just put in a full size suv from lax to Boston - one week in August. $1054 from the 15-22. Didn’t know your cities. Gas obviously will be hundreds more.
Full size SUVs are a big cost over a smaller car.
You might save some by choosing non airports for pick up and drop off.
Ps I used the Costco site for these rates.
Usually company rates have drop off fees too if at another airport - at least at my two companies I’ve traveled for.
If you are moving a lot (like what’s left from your purging)…you will need something larger than an SUV. Have you considered a one way UHaul small truck rental. And the second person can drive the car?
Thanks for your efforts. That does put things in perspective!
We would not be picking up a vehicle from an airport, but from a local office. We have booked through Costco previously. Think I will put the kid up to researching prices for this road trip.
Emptying the apartment of large pieces has taken a lot of bandwidth out of me, and I am not a lifter. We recently had a rental that was a Pacifica, and that would probably fit everything. I will be the only one driving.