Dear Tom and Ray:

Later this spring, I am moving from my student digs in College Station, Texas, to Las Vegas. I have already determined that my furnishings aren't worth the $800 or so that it would cost me rent a U-Haul truck and drive them across the desert, so I've decided to give them away. But I still have a bunch of stuff that has personal value to me that I can either a) ship or b) put in one of those rental trailer-things and drag it across the desert behind my car. I drive a 1991 Honda DX Civic with about 45,000 miles on it. My manual indicates how much weight I can tow safely without hurting the car, but am I better off not even making the attempt? I don't want to ruin a car that needs to last quite a few more years in the interest of trying to save a few bucks on shipping. -- Carolyn

Ray: Carolyn, you are wise beyond your years. Your instincts are absolutely right that pulling a trailer with this car is not worth the risk. It's a lot like carrying around a back pack full of bricks. You may be able to do it, but the extra strain is somehow going to take its toll.

Tom: There are several things that are increasingly likely to happen to a small car like this if you use it to tow a trailer -- even if you stay within the manufacturer's weight limitations. The extra weight could cause the engine to overheat in the desert, perhaps resulting in a blown head gasket ($400 plus) or a warped head ($1,500 plus). If it's a stick shift car, you could burn out the clutch ($500 plus). Or, you could just overwork the engine and damage the rings, so that 40,000 miles from now, you're burning oil to beat the band and need a new engine ($2,000 plus).

Ray: So unless you plan to do extraordinarily well at the slots upon arrival in Las Vegas, I wouldn't risk it. I'd ship your personal belongings. Use the good old U.S. Postal Service, Carolyn. They're quite reasonably priced for mailing boxes of stuff. And with all the e-mail that's going around (like your letter to us from www.cartalk.com), I'm sure they could use the business!

To buy or not to buy -- options, that is. Are options worth what you pay for them, or are you better off just going with the basics? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" to find out. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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