Any upgrades in making your trunk space floor more solid? Ideas?

jay_fyp

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2004
Location
New Jersey
TDI
2015 Golf TDI 6MT 2004 Jetta TDI (PD) 5mt R.I.P - 2013 Golf TDI 6mt - 2004 Golf TDI (PD) 5MT
In my Golf the trunk space floor is very flimsy, as it is for you JSW owners and probably jetta owners as it's just a piece of fabric on top of cheesy material that is expected to hold up to weight on top of it. Underneath is just a hollow space where the spare is.

I often fold the seats down to make room for the dogs, I lay a nice thick blanket down to protect from hair and nails ruining the interior. Saliva is a whole other thread for cleanup with drooling lipped boxers:D

After 12k the floor board of the trunk is already kind of bent in the center and ugly from the dogs weight and putting tools in it for my job. I think the design is terrible, obviously not with dogs in mind from vw engineers, but even so it's easily bent with little weight applied.

I was thinking of maybe a 1/4 inch plywood cut to shape with a jigsaw to go underneath. Anyone else have any ideas or what you did to strengthen the underside of your cargo space?
 

Tweak3D

Veteran Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Location
Graham, WA
TDI
2010 JSW
In my Golf the trunk space floor is very flimsy, as it is for you JSW owners and probably jetta owners as it's just a piece of fabric on top of cheesy material that is expected to hold up to weight on top of it. Underneath is just a hollow space where the spare is.

I often fold the seats down to make room for the dogs, I lay a nice thick blanket down to protect from hair and nails ruining the interior. Saliva is a whole other thread for cleanup with drooling lipped boxers:D

After 12k the floor board of the trunk is already kind of bent in the center and ugly from the dogs weight and putting tools in it for my job. I think the design is terrible, obviously not with dogs in mind from vw engineers, but even so it's easily bent with little weight applied.

I was thinking of maybe a 1/4 inch plywood cut to shape with a jigsaw to go underneath. Anyone else have any ideas or what you did to strengthen the underside of your cargo space?
I've seen plywood and hardwood. Even plywood with a very dark peel and stick wood. I'd first probably decide on how much you are looking to spend and then go from there.

 

AGOODHI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Location
NorCal
TDI
MKVII GSW, MKVI Golf
My car came with the thick velcro mat with the L-shaped blocks that you could move around. Seems to work fine for me.
 

StoBro2

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Location
Lindenhurst IL USA
TDI
2010 Jetta Sportwagen
I ended up fitting a large block of styrofoam that fits between the top of the spare and the bottom of the trunk floor panel. It supports the floor and weighs next to nothing.
 

jay_fyp

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2004
Location
New Jersey
TDI
2015 Golf TDI 6MT 2004 Jetta TDI (PD) 5mt R.I.P - 2013 Golf TDI 6mt - 2004 Golf TDI (PD) 5MT
I ended up fitting a large block of styrofoam that fits between the top of the spare and the bottom of the trunk floor panel. It supports the floor and weighs next to nothing.
Good call, I have access to large blocks of insulation foam too being a carpenter. It's that metal ring that comes up from the spare with hollow space all around it that sends it out of shape in no time if you're putting weight in there all the time. I'm fine with the stock floor lining, I just don't want it ugly and bent up.
 

jay_fyp

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2004
Location
New Jersey
TDI
2015 Golf TDI 6MT 2004 Jetta TDI (PD) 5mt R.I.P - 2013 Golf TDI 6mt - 2004 Golf TDI (PD) 5MT
Actually the more I look, the more I like:D
 

Black11TDI

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Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Location
Sedro Woolley and Spokane Valley, Wa
TDI
2011 Golf TDI (Gone But not Forgotten), 2013 Tiguan SE 4 Motion
1/8" Floor Underlayment cut to the same as the carpet, One car we glued it to the back side of the floor liner, my car its just under it, I had to glue felt strips along the front edge to keep it from rubbing the threshold and making noise when driving. I am going to try to take some knock off dyna mat and cover it, see if it makes any difference.
 

Jaloosk

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Location
Mono, Ontario
TDI
15 Passat Sport TDI
I used 1/2" mdf to strengthen the floor of my last car, and will be doing the same in my jetta as its already sagging in places.
 

LOUDERMAN

Veteran Member
Joined
May 11, 2012
Location
Mesa, AZ
TDI
2010 2dr Golf TDI, 6MT
If you have carpentry skills I'd say make your own floor. If you don't go the foam route.
 

Ctyankee

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Location
CT
TDI
2011 VW Golf
I just received the weathertech mat on Friday. I really like the way it fits in the trunk of my 2011 Golf (like a glove). I expect this will provide terrific protection as I routinely bundles of eco-brick/hot bricks for the woodstove and throw them in the trunk for transport, as well as move anything that may spill/soil/leak.

I've yet to have any of the aforementioned issues with stability or weakness in the back of the golf which is saying something because I've really put it through the paces. Perhaps the 2011 floor is thicker than earlier years?

I really am pleased with the weathertech. I obtained it via free shipping from Amazon Prime and paid under 100. Totally worth it to me as I will no longer need to put down plastic bags or a folded tarp when I treat the trunk of my Golf like the bed of a pickup truck.

If you need to beef up the floor, there are a wide variety of materials that will do the job for you. You can buy a mat that is typically used to support an office chair over carpet and cut it to size or even the aforementioned plywood/pergo combination would work well but IMO would not perform as well as rubberized/textured to prevent everything in your trunk from sliding around.
 

03_01_TDI

Banned
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Location
Denmark
TDI
Na
Properly laid fiberglass to reenforce and floor and the foam support in the center. This would be the lighter option.
 

DRbillZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2003
Location
Jackson,Tn. Home of Carl Perkins :)
TDI
New Beetle, Jetta, one totaled Passat....RIP.
I've seen plywood and hardwood. Even plywood with a very dark peel and stick wood. I'd first probably decide on how much you are looking to spend and then go from there.


Just a note on air fresheners. I've passed on buying many used cars because of the "air freshener" smell...
 

wrightwinger

Active member
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Location
MN
TDI
jsw
The MKVI sportwagen had a wonderful trap door in the floor fore of the floor above the spare tire.

The MKVIIIs still have the space but it's no longer a desperate door/hatch.

Does anyone have any idea on how to mod his or what terms to use to search?
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I used 1/2" mdf to strengthen the floor of my last car, and will be doing the same in my jetta as its already sagging in places.

One thing MDF is not good for is lateral support, it'll suck up moisture and sag worse then string cheese on a hot day. It'll spread pressure points out but any large load in the center won't hold up for very long. MDF is cheap thou.

Baltic Birch Plywood would be my first choice for lateral support.
 
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