Dorm room home
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Dorm room home |
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Steamer trunks offer a variety of much needed benefits to college students that makes them almost a necessity. It's no wonder that in every stereotypical picture of a college dorm room a steamer trunk is sitting right smack-dab in the middle of the room. So what makes a steamer trunk such a fixture in college dorm rooms across America? The answer is simple. Security, convenience, transportation, seating, storage, piece of mind, and more all contribute to the virtual need for a trunk at college.
College Steamer Trunk Buyers Guide
All steamer trunks are not created equal! We've been to college (believe it or not) and we know what kind of abuse these trunks have to withstand. One of our web guys used to sleep on his (really). With this in mind you want to make sure that you buy a sturdy steamer trunk that will last through the years and not one that gets soggy when you spill water on it (another personal experience shared). Here's the low-down on finding a good trunk for college.
Trunk Core Construction
Some trunks are made from a composite board that is sort of like hard cardboard. Although these trunks may make look good to begin with and may make it through a semester or two, the chances are very good that the animal house will eventually eat them alive. That or the fall onto the highway off of the roof of a 79' Camaro screaming home from the University of anywhere at 2 o'clock in the morning. What? We were cool once to you know.
Look for a trunk with a solid wood construction. We're not saying head on down to the local carpenter and have him whip you off a bullet-proof solid oak trunk. We're saying avoid the cardboard crap. Some steamer trunks are made using pressed plywood, other solid plywood. Regardless of what retailers say we have always found these trunks to be the same strength and durability. Besides, if you're reckless enough to destroy a solid wood trunk you should probably be under constant supervision (we're sorry - just kidding).
Metal or Vinyl Steamer Trunk
here are a bunch of different sizes, styles, colors, and even prints of steamer trunks available now-a-days but the biggest choice will come between you purchasing a vinyl trunk or a metal trunk. There are pro and cons to each of these and like anything quality comes into questions. Here goes....
Vinyl Steamer Trunks
Vinyl steamer trunks can be attractive and durable so long as the vinyl is high quality. Many trunks are made with recycled vinyl that breaks and cracks over (not so long of a) time. If you have your eye on a vinyl trunk make sure that the trunk is made with virgin vinyl and that it is nice and thick.
Metal Steamer trunks
Metal steamer trunks is what most of us preferred. Not only is metal a little more durable than vinyl, it also provides better security than a vinyl trunk. Again, to every pro there is a con (like yin and yang, you get the deal). Metal has a tendency to rust and metal steamer trunks are made with steel. Regardless of what the sales guy tells you, a metal steamer trunk will begin to rust if you spill stuff on in, store it in the damp attic when your home for the summer, or leave it on the top of the car in a rain storm when driving to/from school. Assuming that you can keep the think dry, we would definitely have to recommend a metal steamer trunk. Heck, we even had a great place in mind to refer you to but they wouldn't help us out with our cause. Just kidding, the links are be somewhere on this page - click away!
Steamer Trunks with Wheels or Steamer Trunks Without Wheels
One of the many and main uses of a steamer trunk is as a piece of luggage. Luggage should be easy to transport and wheel would be an obvious convenience in this situation. However, you probably don't use your usual suitcase as a coffee table or chair for 8 months out of the year. Before you convince yourself that you need wheel on your trunk think of how you will use it once it gets to your college dorm room. If you will stick in under your bed (better bring be risers) or in the closet then you probably should get some wheels to make it easier to get things into your room. However, if you will be using the trunk as a piece of furniture wheels might get a little annoying. Yeah, trunks have wheels on one side and stoppers on the other, but when decide to have a bunch of people over to hang out in your room we can guarantee that you trunk will NOT be a stationary piece of furniture. Realistically there you will only need wheels a few times each semester, coming and going to school and the occasional extending break. Other than that you may hate them.
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