University of Arizona Summer Storage: A Student Guide
Every University of Arizona student who is not staying for the summer faces the same problem in early May: a dorm room or flat that has to be empty, and belongings that have to go somewhere for three months. Flying them home is expensive. Leaving them in a car is worse. This is what storing them in Tucson involves.
Book before finals, not during
Move-out is concentrated into about ten days in May, and everyone hits it at once. The sizes students want go first, and what is left is either too big or across town. Late April is the sensible time to sort it, when you can still choose.
August is the same in reverse. If you are coming back and want the unit through to term, say so when you book rather than reserving twice.
What size you need
A 5×10 holds a dorm room without much thought: bedding, clothes, boxes, a mini fridge, a bike, a desk chair. Two people emptying a shared flat usually want a 10×10, which takes a sofa and a bed as well.
The common mistake is booking bigger than you need because it feels safer. Describe what you have on the phone and Janet will tell you what it fits in. She does this all summer.
Cooled, for a Tucson summer
Storage that would be fine in most places is not fine here in July. A closed metal unit in direct sun can pass 120 degrees in the afternoon, and that is what warps a laptop battery, curls photographs, bows vinyl and loosens the joints in cheap furniture.
About 66 of the units here are air cooled, held in the mid to upper 80s through the summer. The rest are drive-up, which are cheaper and perfectly good for things that do not care about heat. If your unit is going to hold a computer or anything paper, ask for a cooled one when you book, because they go first.
The truck and the unit in one trip
The site is a U-Haul dealer, so you can pick up a van here, load out of your room, and unload straight into the unit without a second drive across the city on a day you are already short of time.
Month to month, which suits a term
Rentals are month to month with no long contract, so a summer is three or four months and then you stop paying. Give notice when you are done. Splitting a unit with a flatmate makes it cheap enough that it is usually less than shipping a single box home.
Common questions
When should I book for summer?
Late April or early May. Everyone moves out the same week in May, so the useful sizes go first and you end up paying for something bigger than you need.
What size fits a dorm room?
A 5×10 takes a dorm room comfortably: bedding, boxes, a mini fridge, a bike, a few bits of furniture. Two people sharing a flat usually want a 10×10.
Do I need a cooled unit?
For a Tucson summer, yes, if you are storing a laptop, a television, books, photographs or anything wooden. About 66 of the units here are cooled, so ask when you call.
Is there a long contract?
No. Rentals are month to month, so a summer stay is three or four months and then you stop paying.
Can I get a truck too?
Yes. The site is a U-Haul dealer, so you can collect the truck and load straight into the unit in one trip.
Call (520) 623-1414 or come by 1830 N 7th Ave, about ten minutes from campus. Office is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.