During a recent series of overnight camps on college campus' - we got a really good sense of the size of a freshman dorm. NOT BIG. Bedding, clothing, etc can be vacuum sealed, extra's if they need fans or lights can be purchased there. I was glad to see the spaces as it helped me realize - its kinda like camping - expect you don't need the shelter or beds. What is forgot or decided as a need once you move them in can be shipped. I'd say - its one car and be sensible with filling it. Or 1 car and one parent flies. drive home together.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to all PPs (except for the snarky 8:49 one.)

But for purposes of debate, does a minivan really offer more cargo space?? We've never had one, so I can't compare. And I believe the general outside size of an Odyssey isn't much different from a Pilot... so just look for any other thoughts on that. Thanks all!

A minivan has nearly double the cargo space behind the second row as compared to a Honda Pilot.

Anonymous wrote:Is there a lot of sports gear or something? I can’t imagine what is taking up so much space. I have a Pilot and move a lot. If you vacuum bag clothing and bedding you should be fine. Unless you are taking bikes, kayaks, paddle boards…or some situation like that.

This. What exactly is your kid all packing, OP? We have an MDX, so roughly the size of a Pilot (maybe a little smaller), and had no issues getting our kid + her stuff + DH and I to her school (7 hours away) for drop off. They do not need nearly as much stuff as you think. No need to entertain a minivan rental or a rooftop carrier. We used those blue Ikea Frakta bags plus a duffel bag for her to use when she came home for TXgiving/Xmas. I think we had 5 of the Ikea bags in total and they easily fit without blocking the rear view. Avoid plastic totes, suitcases, etc.- anything hard sided.

For DD's stuff, it was mostly just clothing, bedding, and some decor. Two towels. A box fan. Then her backpack had her laptop and chargers in it. We purchased the mini fridge and microwave, plus a few toiletries/school supplies, online from Target, had them shipped to the Target nearest to her campus and then picked them up once we had her other stuff unloaded into the dorm and the cargo space was freed up. We did not feel it was necessary to buy them "at home" and pack them in the car for the trip to school. Pretty much all stores these days -- certainly the ones where you buy the typical college stuff (Target, Walmart, BB&B, etc.) -- have in-store pick up.

She goes to school in chilly upstate NY but even so, was just fine wearing summer-ish clothes and fall clothes (jeans, sweaters, light jackets, etc.) for the first two months. We shipped her her North Face parka around Halloween IIRC and then when she came home for Thanksgiving she brought home some summery clothing and swapped it to bring back more winter-y gear to campus. If your kid is going to school in a cold weather locale, DON'T pack winter gear for move in. It will take up space and they don't need it for awhile.

For you/DH/other kid, since you are only going to be gone for two? three? days at most, you shouldn't really need "luggage" for your stuff. You and DH, and probably even your other kid should be able to fit 2-3 outfits + toiletries in a regular, carry-on size duffel or small suitcase.

Fly. I went to school 3,000 miles from home and we flew. Three family members shared one suitcase and the others were mine. Any non personal items can be bought when you get there. Freshman do not need multiple cars worth of stuff.

Your 4 people + the roommates people = 8 people in a HOT dorm room trying to unpack. Well, let’s face it, mom is unpacking and the rest of the family is watching you. Good times 😀

Anonymous wrote:If you are going to stay at a hotel in the college city, then I would ship things to that hotel and take what fits in the Pilot. Just call the hotel first to check about storage. I disagree with shipping to the school, the mailrooms are usually overwh9with items and he will not have the packages up til a week after in most cases.

OP -- 11:24 PP from above and I agree that shipping to the college can be an issue because there can be a big backlog at college mailrooms at the very start of the year, when lots of people have things shipped to the college. Many colleges do not deliver packages directly to any dorm or residence, but packages instead go to central mailrooms and must be picked up at those mailrooms. So the student has to haul packages back to the dorm (a bit of an issue if the boxes are bulky or heavy items). I'd go with ordering for pickup at a store like BB&B etc.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend having things shipped to any hotel, though; there's no way to know how good the hotel's security for packages really will be, and things could easily go astray at a hotel. Also, OP, some items are still taking long times to arrive places, I find. If you get something shipped to a hotel but the package gets held up, it might arrive after you leave. DS would have to go fetch it (without a car that could be an issue), etc. At least if something doesn't turn up at the local store of a chain from which you ordered it, you have some recourse with the chain. But if a shipment goes to a hotel, the hotel is merely doing you a favor to receive it for you, and --unlike the store/chain --the hotel doesn't have any vested interest in what happens if the stuff doesn't arrive, or arrives after you're gone.

If you are going to stay at a hotel in the college city, then I would ship things to that hotel and take what fits in the Pilot. Just call the hotel first to check about storage. I disagree with shipping to the school, the mailrooms are usually overwh9with items and he will not have the packages up til a week after in most cases.

If your son knows any upperclassmen from high school who are currently there and living off campus, perhaps he can ship a few things to their house?
Alternatively, if it is a small college town, the hotel you are staying at may allow you to ship a box or two there to time with your arrival.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to all PPs (except for the snarky 8:49 one.) Kid is a boy and not at all into stuff. He won't overpack and won't care too much about almost anything. Still even basics add up especially with everyone but me 6ft or taller. And for safety reasons my husband doesn't want to fill up the back so much that it blocks the view for such a long drive.

Many good suggestions here that we'll investigate, such as a soft-top carrier or the possibility of having some contingent fly to free up a bit of space on the way up. That might be the winner!

But for purposes of debate, does a minivan really offer more cargo space?? We've never had one, so I can't compare. And I believe the general outside size of an Odyssey isn't much different from a Pilot... so just look for any other thoughts on that. Thanks all!

And no chance of leaving one parent at home with sibling. This is our first kid to launch and it's already very emotional for us (not for the kid of course!)

New poster. OP, sorry some here don't get that for some families, it's a big deal for everyone to see off the first kid who goes to college!

Our DC is a five-hour drive away. We have a sedan, nothing as big as your vehicle, and a DC who takes a LOT of stuff due to some extracurriculars (anyone got a kid in circus arts?....) Don't get a pricey, installed rooftop carrier, get a soft "bag" that you can strap onto the roof -- hard-sided carriers have no "give" to stuff things in, and you can get a surprisingly capacious one. Ours is by a company called Taygeer and it does not have any rigid base or sides, and is easy to fill and take on and off and is extremely watertight when it rains.

Have the rest of the family take utterly minimal stuff for overnight and share two backpacks--one per person will take up more room than you realize; backpacks get bulky. Flying sounds like a very expensive option and I think you can avoid it.

Your son shouldn't be using suitcases. Anything rigid like those sucks up room. Duffels, soft-sided bags, trash bags are fine too!

I really agree with others that you should arrange for everything like all bedding, pillows, mattress cover, bed risers (if needed), bath tote if needed, mirror, desk lamp, desk chair if needed, etc., to be purchased online and waiting for you at the nearest Bed, Bath and Beyond or Target or whatever big store works and is close to the university. Pro tip: Be SURE to add time into your schedule to find that store and wait to pick up the order, then go over to his dorm. At peak move-in season there can be waits (though we ourselves have not experienced that). Do as much as you can in that way, so there's less to carry in the vehicle.

You really can do this with your vehicle, all four of you, and maybe a rooftop bag, if you order as much online for pickup there as you possibly can. And it won't be that much.

Will he have a mini fridge and/or microwave in his dorm room? Does he have a roommate and are they arranging that between them? Are you carrying either of those items? I wouldn't; I'd order and pick up there, or best of all -- some colleges have contracts with vendors who rent fridges/microwaves to students in dorms. That's what we did the first two years DC was at college and it was a huge relief to turn up and find the fridge and microwave already sitting in the dorm room waiting for DC, and to leave at the end of each year and DC could just clean those items and walk out the door.

Someone said above to remember that whatever you take must either come home at the end of the year, or your DS will have to arrange storage. Please do heed that! He may end up having to fly home at the end of the year -- never assume you'll always be able to pick him up -- so keep that in mind.

Get one of these. https://www.amazon.com/Rightline-Gear-100B90-Cargo-Saddlebag/dp/B0009NWQWI

I would never take two cars. Ship stuff to the dorm.

We are flying and taking 2 giant LL bean duffels with his stuff and everything else we either shipped there to will buy there.

I mean this unsnarkily, but many of us went to college with our stuff in the days before minivans and suv’s, and before internet shop/ship. I am the older and so drove to college with my family of 4 and my luggage/belongings in our family pontiac. You can get this packed into a pilot! But I certainly get first time jitters

I’m not sure I understand the multiple comments about the traveler’s height. The position of the captain’s chairs (or second row if you have the eight seater) do not move. So the trunk space when the third row folded down does not change no matter what. There is a ton of space in the trunk and where the third row folds down. We took our daughter to freshman drop off using our pilot. Nothing was packed above the height of the second row, so no safety issues. We brought her clothing for summer/fall, her bedding, room decor, toiletries & towels, school supplies, cleaning supplies, a box fan, a TV, portable phone charger/wifi speaker combo, a folding papasan chair, pillows, some shelf-stable snacks and some other odds and ends. The room was furnished and mini fridge was included in the room. We bought perishables and anything else at Wal-Mart when we arrived. The last thing we packed was a single overnight bag for the four of us. I promise it was a ton of stuff.

I have a feeling you can get it all in if you pack the car correctly. You just need someone to pack efficiently. But, adding a rooftop carrier or renting a u-haul van that will seat four may be better for you OP, to ease some of your anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to all PPs (except for the snarky 8:49 one.) Kid is a boy and not at all into stuff. He won't overpack and won't care too much about almost anything. Still even basics add up especially with everyone but me 6ft or taller. And for safety reasons my husband doesn't want to fill up the back so much that it blocks the view for such a long drive.

Many good suggestions here that we'll investigate, such as a soft-top carrier or the possibility of having some contingent fly to free up a bit of space on the way up. That might be the winner!

But for purposes of debate, does a minivan really offer more cargo space?? We've never had one, so I can't compare. And I believe the general outside size of an Odyssey isn't much different from a Pilot... so just look for any other thoughts on that. Thanks all!

And no chance of leaving one parent at home with sibling. This is our first kid to launch and it's already very emotional for us (not for the kid of course!)

I'm the PP who suggested having one parent drive and other parent fly with sibling. It really is the best way to go. My son also wasn't into a lot of stuff, but 4 people plus luggage already fills the car! Two people plus their luggage frees up a log of space for the supplies, etc. Good luck to your son.

This is the Pilot driver, there is a lot of space in the back. I do think flying two people one way is the best plan if you are this nervous but if you need to you’ll be fine. Limit the “tourists” to backpacks and pack the college student in soft bags with stuff vacuum packed inside. Like the ikea square bags suggested above. It’s hard stuff (coolers, sports gear, hard luggage) that gets difficult. A minivan with the back row down will have more room but not a ton more. Do a trial this weekend with vacuum bags and an ikea bag and see how much it condenses.

4 people does sound like a lot. I guess I would consider renting a larger car. Or could anyone go by train and return with you?