Road trip distance?

uberdiesel

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Location
Columbia, SC
TDI
2015 Night Blue Golf TDI SEL
bikeprof said:
I wonder what the minimum distance for "us"(the TDI'rs) to call the trip a ROAD TRIP?
1. Does it have to be fun?
2. What IS the magic number of mileage to call it a trip?
...
Ask the expert...
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
Thanks Father..., but he(John), did a nose dive in real live. WHAT a trip!
I actually want to stay afloat and be quite leveled...:D !
(the only drugs I use/have contact with are the ones that I have to give to my 14 year old Golden for his hips...)
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
It is needed..., members that can post their trips here.
We want to know what happens when you are driving your TDI across the good 'ol USA.

Any postings?, hopefully they are funny.
:cool:
 

Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
bikeprof said:
I am giving CPR to this thread...

What, nobody travels anymore, :( ?
Have you seen the price of diesel lately?

:p

I've had a few late-night trips to Cleveland (MS), about 55 miles away, just to buy Cherry RC cola. It may not win any distance awards but the reason has to count for something. ;)

Ever since starting a new job that is just 2.8 miles away, I've been itching to take an out of state trip!
 

txpigeon

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Location
Brownwood, TX
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS Wagon, his (Tornado Red early MY) & hers (Mohave Beige late MY)
I've slowed down on my road trips lately. I've had my car for a little over 3 months and only added 8400 miles to it. Only wander off about twice a week now. Last time, I wasn't sure which way to go, so just followed the road. Ended up about 230 miles away in a place I'd never heard of. Had a nice dinner at a local restaurant and headed home. Looks like I'll be able to add another 300 miles RT this weekend when I go to the GTG in Austin. Sorry it's not funny!

Duane
 

adamek

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Location
Sharon, MA
TDI
2002 VW TDI Beetle, 2012 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI
bikeprof said:
take plenty of SMALLER Peso bills to hand out in case of a police officer "wants to talk" to you(bribe pesos...), you should be OK.
There's bribes and there's squeeze. A bribe is money one pays to an official to have them do something they're not supposed to do. Squeeze is money one pays to an official to do their job, kind of like an extorted tip.
 

D_Bill

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Location
SE Pa
TDI
old_v1 - 01 jetta / old_v2 02 golf / new 13 jsw-6sp
Nc

Other than trips to upstate Pa - not really far ~ 200mi not much.

But in the next couple weeks another trip to NC from SE Pa and hoping to pull off SE Pa to Pacific NW to SoCal and back this summer - provided I can figure a way to camp in the back of the Jetta, when I don't want to set up ( or can't cause I'm not at a camp site ) the tent, with all my "stuff" in the car.

:)
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
Hmm, I believe that you have folding rear seats on your Jetta, correct?
That is a mini, mini-RV, did you know that?

Get an inflatable(bed, not companion...:eek: !), as long as you do not knock your head on the trunk separator/edge..., you should sleep VERY COMFY :D !
Music can be heard at a very LOW wattage :) .

Good luck and do not forget to lock the doors...
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
"There's bribes and there's squeeze."

Actually, I had parked the Citroen on the side of the road with PLENTY of room for other vehicles to pass, so no, I was NOT being "squeezed".
More like...., I was participating with the retirement plan of the two Brazilian police officers and their families :rolleyes: ...

Thanks for reading my earlier postings though, sometimes I may be a little not proper with the language but I try :) .
 

earlthepearl

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Location
Morganton, NC
TDI
2000 New Beetle 5M, 2004 Passat 6M, 2009 Jetta Sedan (buy back), 2010 Touareg (buy back)
Oconus

Since road trips outside continental US are being discussed, I have one. I was working in Germany last year, and had the good fortune to rent an Audi A4 2.0 TDI, six speed, and a nav system. Sweet Ride:D! Veterans Day provided me with a three day weekend, so I decided to drive from Frankfurt to Copenhagen to visit a friend. I started out on a rainy night. Two accidents on the Autobahn required a couple of detours, so the nav system was a lifesaver. Still, it took me 12 hours to get there. The return trip was a sunny day event taking only 8 hours. Much of the trip was at 160+ kmph, with occasional bursts of 200 + kmph:). There are speed limits on portions of the Autobahn. I should know, I got a ticket:eek:, 165 in a 110 zone. Camera got me, I saw the red flash! Budget Rent a Car sent me the notice and charged 35 Euro ($50) for a processing fee. Still havn't received notice of the fine, and keeping my fingers crossed.
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
ROAD TRIPS!

No matter where, when and how much was the fine...,
all are accepted:D .

(mine was ~19 USD's), the "fine" ;) .

I'll be heading south again soon, this time I hope to document the trip better.
(last one was ~ 14.500 miles in 9 weeks!)
 

SBAtdijetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
'10 Jetta Cup 6spd, '02 Jetta Auto
I took a nice little road trip from Houston to Winnipeg, Manitoba CA back in March... lol yea fuel prices were a bit of a bummer even then they were $3.87 in Houston up to $3.99 in central and norther US and I paid $4.65 (converted to US $ per gallon) for my one fill up in Canada it was like $1.23/L or so then.

Kind of a boring drive up, but the drive back was a bit better.

It was kind of funny as both the CA immigration going and US customs coming back found it hard to believe that I drove all the way to Canada to hang out with some VW people and pick up some GLI seats for my jetta...:p. kept asking me why did I not fly...lol or have the seats shipped. I kept telling them it was way cheaper to drive and the guy did not want to ship the seats. So they both gave me a hard time. CA did not search my car but just asked me a ton of questions. But US customs coming home was the worst, they took forever searching by car and were generaly kind of rude, and even broke my battery cover trying to get it off...(lol how hard is that:rolleyes:) I mean how dumb do you have to be to not know how to open a simple plastic latch on the battery cover?:confused: Anyway I think they assumed I was bringing in some sort of contraband as I declared nothing and had no cash...could be why they though this and gave me a hard time, but I don't know.

Anyway thats my road trip story... 2,800+ miles. Houston to Iowa to Winnipeg, a nice few days there got to love the pubs and micro brew, then back home. I did get snow on the way there, great fun and all with my summer performance tires and all :D.
 

Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
SBA, your bringing up customs reminded me of my customs experience on my last trip to Canada. I entered at Rouses Point, NY and received no hassle whatsoever from the French Canadian at the crossing. I might've spent two nights in Canada and reentered the US at that bridge in Detroit.

The US customs people couldn't have been more suspicious because of my short time in CA, no declarations and all that. They tore my car apart for over an hour, even removing a subwoofer from its enclosure (then reinstalling it and torquing the screws wrong, warping it slightly.)

Some welcome home, eh? :rolleyes:
 

SBAtdijetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
'10 Jetta Cup 6spd, '02 Jetta Auto
Yea no place like home!:rolleyes: With a welcoming crew like that, maybe I will just stay in Canada next time :). Well maybe not the taxes up there are :eek:

I have never been up to the North East, maybe that will be my next road trip!

Steve
 

coffeefor2

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2008
Location
Smithfield, VA
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
What's the definition of a road trip? Any time I get in the car NOT for business purposes, that includes the commute to and from every day.:mad:

Since I bought my Jetta, I tend to take the long way almost every time I go out for any reason except work. Hell, I've been know to take my camera or one of the dogs and just.......... drive :D for hours.

I help the Cub and Boy scouts in town. If there is a camping trip, trip to the zoo, I don't care the reason, I'm the first to put my hand high in the air when they ask for drivers.

This summer we are planning the "Big Road Trip". :eek: We are leaving from Virginia, going the south route to Yellowstone, then to Montana (Brother's wedding), and the north route back home again. Three weeks of road trip!! :cool: The only bummer, I cann't take the Jetta :( all 4 kids are coming and it's a little tight fitting 6 people in it. We're taking, as my wife has dubed it, "The big giant van." I need to convert this thing over to diesel!:rolleyes:
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
LOL !!!!

You have PLENTY of time to replace the gas engine for a Diesel one.

All the big US auto makers have Diesel engines that with LITTLE adjustments and WITH the ECU(don't forget the ECU...), you can replace with minimal trouble.
 

Farfromovin

Torque Addict
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Location
Ventura, CA
TDI
03 Golf 2dr- PD150 6m
Next chance I get to take some leave, I am taking 30 days off. Driving from FL cross country to the PNW (home). I plan on cruising by Colorado on the way over just to see how the Golf does on some "real" hills. Then we'll swing down to SoCal on the way back to visit some more family. Should be around 6000 miles in about 3 weeks. I love driving the TDI's. They are so easy! 5th gear torque is ridiculous, hills are no troubles, they are great!

I keep telling my wife I want to take a road trip from here to Guatemala so she can see her family and I can meet them as well. That would be an interesting trip for sure!!!
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
Going to Guatemala should be an "interesting" trip...

Take small bills with you in pocket, always LEAVE EARLY and finish early(thieves don't usually get up too early), and less use of the A/C should be needed.

Go as a local, don't be too fancy with your clothes(you probably have experience), and DON'T wash your car before the trip/makes it look older.
Always GARAGE the TDI at night, or parts of it may not be attached after breakfast...:eek: !

Have a good trip coming to COLORADO("God's Country"), you'll like it!

Hasta la vista...
 

CrayZRyde

Active member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
Ellicotville, NY
TDI
03 Jetta GLS TDI
5000 Mile Southwest Tour
Took my lil' TDI out for a drive last week. Spring Break Rolled around Last week and we had ambitions to Drive out to Breckenridge CO Friday Afternoon From Fredonia NY, a good 1500 mile haul. Hit Snow, had to detour, extended the trip 100 miles. Stayed a Few days in Breck then Headed South West to Durango CO thourgh the mountainous roads far from interstate. Beautiful... From there we zig zagged through utah hitting glen canyon, bryce canyon, Escalante, Hells Back Bone, and the Grand canyon. Leading us staight into Arizona, from there we swung her back east and headed across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and back through the heart of the states. Absolutley amazing trip. Logged Fuel Milage the whole way, averaged 45 carryin 3 passengers Fully loaded with gear and snowboards crusing 85 mph interstated for thousands of miles. Logged just over 5,000 Miles by the time we had got back into NY, total of 85 Hours in the saddle switching on and off from the three riders in the TDI, Sad to come back to Ny With our diesel prices, The southwest was still under 4 a gallon. I indcluded some links to photo alblums i have posted online.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...92&id=44205985

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...09&id=44205985

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...d6&id=44205985

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...77&id=44205985

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...9c&id=44205985
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
CraZride: Sorry that the photos/links are not working(for me...:( ).
Must have been a great trip!

Did you know that in "A" basin, in Colorado, the skiing is still open?

GREAT MPG for the trek, I wished many a time that mine did the same MPG/at least close to it...
(45MPG @ 65MPH), but mine is a B4 wagon!

Good day'
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
A "road trip", does that include going up and down a mountain with more feet in altitude than longitude, HU?
LOLOLOL

:cool: Giving this thread some CPR.
I know that summer is there and many of us TDI club members will be taking road trips, although not as extensive as could be with lower fuel costs but still, road trips!

Narrate your trip, hopefully wih PICS. and share the pleasant-ness of your TDI "purring" down the road :D !

My camera got stolen and cannot PIC. for anything now...:rolleyes:.

I am in the southern hemisphere as we speak, actually in Uruguay making my way back to ARG. on the 20th.
 

SBAtdijetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
'10 Jetta Cup 6spd, '02 Jetta Auto
Ok John I though I would add some pics to my Canada trip on the last page, not very good ones... but here they are none the less.

Headlight goes out in the middle of the night... (10pm) drove with brights when I could, but mostly with just 1 headlight...It sucked... love the snow pack and driving with perf. summer tires...

Snow and sleet coming down, and all this station had was the uber big nozels and satalight pumps, took me about 20 min in the cold to fill up. My hands were numb by 10 min....lol. I guess my brain was too, thus I took a pic to remember this place...

Snow! Sorry its a big deal for me from Houston!

Most expensive diesel I had ever seen ever was this in MN @ 3.99....at that time...lol paid $4.65/us gallon when I got to CA. Now even that is a good price here

Sun finally coming up... stupid headlight lol
 
Last edited:

SBAtdijetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
'10 Jetta Cup 6spd, '02 Jetta Auto
Had to take a pic, it was cold. Right after this in broad daylight a MN state trooper pulls me over for that headlight out... It was Sunday in the middle of no where. Where on earth would I stop to even try to buy a headlight? Only got a warning, but was still pissed made me stand in the cold in 9 degrees in non winter clothes..

Don't remember how cold it was but it was several deg -C when I took this pic (my car and Oleg's car), a few seconds later my digital camera stoped saving pictures too cold I guess. Ground was solid ice..

Back to OK

Dirty...

Clean spot in upper left is where I leaned up against it...

Great MPG numbers when I would slow down (only 49.3 mpg on this tank though)... But can only cruise at 58mph for a few min in the middle of no where before you get really board....
 
Last edited:

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
Steve: The great thing of it all, is that you made it back without a spin-out...
It gets cold in the north, stays cold and then humidity then lays a nice blanket of ice everywhere, at times, there is something that is called "BLACK ICE".
Been there and done that(the spin-out without my desire:().

Glad that you made it back in complete state, no left behind car parts or un-wanted ELK on your hood.

I am embarrased by all the toys on your '06 but pleased for you!

I am in Uruguay, getting ready to take a HOT shower to warm up the bones after a long two days in lower temperature heated(was that heat?), rooms.

John
 

SBAtdijetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
'10 Jetta Cup 6spd, '02 Jetta Auto
John,
Good to hear you have heat! Hope the trip is going well for you.

Yes I was glad not to have any black ice situations... that would have been very bad for me, even light snow was not fun with wide summer tires, as they float up on snow, but you know that!

Hahha toys...yes, lots of installs recently, and more coming soon... Got to stop soon though the piggy bank is getting mad at me :mad:.

Steve
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
this is vacation...

Here is what happened yesterday...

I left for Brazil with my older sister, she's never been to Brazil or any of these other countries that I have left my mark at :rolleyes: .

Got to the hotel late in Chuy, Uruguay, tried to get the room warm with the room heater BUT there was way too much humidity in the room for any doing.
Took a shower BUT the water NEVER heated up, then it did.
The process took about an hour or more, remember it was cold and humid and there are not many clothes on(because I am "ready" to take the shower...
After the water warms up, I enjoy the heck out of the hot water(about an hour or so...:D ), therefore the shower/bath is FULL of humidity and DRIPPING water from every wall imaginable.
I enjoyed it BUT the sister(being older and all that...), thought I was a little kid for leaving the bathroom a mess :eek: !

So on we go after the WONDERFULL Brazilian breakfast to the customs and border..., I get there with a smile and a happy face BUT the VISA to enter Brazil has been expired for a long time(in my passport)!
Remember that we left Uruguay, all the Uruguay paperwork was left behind:
1. could not enter Brazil
and
2. couln't really re-enter Uruguay because we had never "entered" and left Brazil, so NO paperwork!
We were in a 2 kilometer "no persons land" for 2 hours...:eek: .

After huge smiles of jokes, laughter, of THEM asking for subsidized help/aid in form of Chilean wine(of course, there is no official petition...), the Uruguay customs officials remembering me from last year via their port to Brazil...,
they did issue an entry permit(two hours waiting).
They did not have any more entry forms and could not find any paper..., and then had to wait to print it on official Uruguay stationery colors :rolleyes: .

We did not get very far that day:p !

Experience is what I call it, others would have stripped their head bald or grown gray hairs instantly :rolleyes: .

Mañana back to B. Aires..., via Colonia and the fast "Buquebus" :D .

PS.(Brazil breakfast has LOTS of fruit, ie: papaya, bananas, peaches, mango, juice, etc...
Uruguaian persons regard Chile wine being the better of all the wines...)
so far, only 3.000 miles this trip.
 
Last edited:

Smithers

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 7, 1999
Location
Lower Slobovia
2,200 miles last week. 2 adults, 2 kids and probably 100 pounds of luggage. 75mph avg. when possible. Probably 75% flat, 25% mountains. Total avg. MPG - 44 with the A/C on almost the whole time. Not great but not bad.
 

coffeefor2

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2008
Location
Smithfield, VA
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
I love my TDI

Wife and I went from Tidewater area in Virginia to Asheville, NC area over the 4th weekend and into the next week. About 900 miles of interstate driving to and from with AC on (Wife said she wouldn't go unless I ran the AC) about 80% flat / 20% mountains with 42.6 MPG. Did about 500 miles of 90% mountains / 10% flat while in Asheville area including 2 days puttering around the Biltmore at a whopping 20 - 30 MPH and a trip up Chimney Rock was about 40 MPG, still respectable considering the driving.

Diesel was a little more expensive up there, $4.89 per gallon, about $0.20 more but not outrageous.

Got back home and my wife wet online looking for a TDI to replace her Honda. We're looking for a late model Golf or Jetta wagon TDI if anyone knows of one.
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
Hey, coffeefor2! Remember the line from one of the Moody Blues songs ´´there you go lad´´.
Well, seems that you are doing a GREAT job getting he wife to own a TDI like it should be!
WAY TO GO...

Nice to hear persons enjoy the TDI like it is meant to be driven, A LOT!

A Golf would be good for her since it is EASY to park and has that hatchback to throw junk in there easily :eek: !
 
Top