towing vs not towing - efficiency

[bgsterling at bluebottle.com (Brad Sterling)]

<snip Koabi> 
I had planned on driving a uhaul type thing down to AZ from CO while towing
a car.  Now it looks like I'll have a job interview so I am considering
driving a car down early and flying back which would free up the need for
the trailer.  Anyways I started wondering if its more efficient to tow a car
with a truck or to drive a car and the truck.  I assume that the towing
arrangement would be most efficient because you have one engine running
instead of two, but that's not really much of a conclusion.
<end snip>

Define "efficient".  If you're talking efficient use of gas, then towing
will probably be more efficient.  My Scout II didn't have an appreciable
difference in gas mileage when I towed an '87 Rx-7 on a single axle car
trailer from So Cal to Oregon.  Yep, it was just as crappy as it always is.
So arguably, I saved the gas that would have been used by the Rx.  If you're
talking efficient use of time to get to the interview, it will be faster to
take the car and fly back.  Trucks towing cars are slow.  If you're talking
efficient use of cash, it's going to be a close call.  When I priced a
U-Haul from So Cal to Oregon about seven years ago, it was a one-way, 7-day
charge of $1200.  It didn't matter if I only needed it for 3 days.  Other
moving rentals were about the same.  For me, it was cheaper to buy a used
car trailer, tow with my truck, and unload the car trailer once I got to my
destination.  One thing to remember though is that job related moving
expenses are tax deductible.  I believe most of what you're looking at (e.g.
vehicle rentals, moving fees, airfare for the job interview, etc.) can be
deducted, but I'm no accountant.

-Brad
'86 Scirocco 16v

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