My '12 TDI JSW

I'm going to be using this thread as an archive of sorts to my JSW. I ordered it from the factory in May '11. Finally took possession of it in November '11. That was a long wait.

Specs: TDI, 6 Speed manual, pano roof, Tempest Blue metallic, cornsilk leatherette interior.

This is my first new car, I'm fresh out of college as a Mechanical Engineer. I chose the wagon for the fuel economy, driving fun, it's flashy enough to appeal to the womens, and I'll need a wagon for the Border Collie I don't even have yet.

The plan is to have this car for the next 15 years, or something like "I'll sell this car when the first dog I have in it dies". Maybe it will end up being in the family as a child's car, I have no idea what the future will be for it. I'm hoping long.

The day I brought it home, next to the thing that gets me 48 mpg:



Helping mom and dad search for their new property:



And hauling the trailer that grandpa built, I brought the trailer into our shop and lifted it up with our hoist, 1050 lbs. Tongue weight is 90 lbs. This trailer could probably be used to haul a single motorcycle, but I plan on getting an all aluminum trailer to carry two. Fuel economy was ~30 mpg bringing this thing back from the mountains with 2 extra people in the car. I'm stripping it and putting in a bed liner for the parents.

Hey MaverickH1,
Good post and pics.
Keep us posted on how that rig tows when loaded and how much total weight you can safely pull.
Thanks
TDI Space-Coaster

Nice choice, both the car (have one) and the border collie (have two). The BCs love riding in the diesel more than my wife's gasser. I think the engine rhythm calms theme a bit.

I like that bike, too.

Are you on ADV?

By the look on his face, I don't think the cat likes the idea of a border collie.

Nice, but can you scale the photos down a bit?

ToeBall said:

Nice, but can you scale the photos down a bit?

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Hehe, being a newly graduated electrical engineer he likely has a nice new widescreen monitor as opposed to the 8 year old laptop like I have.



On the more serious side, I'm curious as to how the trailer works also as I'm getting ready to sell my truck and do the trailer thing.

TDI Space-Coaster said:

Hey MaverickH1,
Good post and pics.
Keep us posted on how that rig tows when loaded and how much total weight you can safely pull.
Thanks
TDI Space-Coaster

Click to expand...

There's a little confusion on the weight. VW in the USA says 1000 lb trailer weight, 200 lb tongue weight. The manufacturer of the hitch says 2000 lb trailer weight, 200 lb tongue weight. Apparently VW-Europe says something higher than the USA. My plan is to do 1500/200. The hitch is a Curt 11072 hitch. It kind of scares me how it mounts up. It has 3 solid bolts on the right hand side that attach to the frame, it's got one bolt that goes vertically through the spare tire sheet metal, and the kit replaces the two ~11mm bolts on one of the exhaust pipe hangers. It doesn't inspire confidence, that's for sure.

TDiSkater said:

Nice choice, both the car (have one) and the border collie (have two). The BCs love riding in the diesel more than my wife's gasser. I think the engine rhythm calms theme a bit.

Click to expand...

I can't WAIT to get a BC. I'm actually looking at a "house" right now... it's actually a 36'x90' metal garage with offices that I will turn into living quarters... and when I finally get out of an apartment I'll definitely get a BC, but if I get that place I'll also have to get a cat.

Just Adam said:

I like that bike, too.

Are you on ADV?

Click to expand...

Yes, sir, I am. Same screen name. The ol' KLR's got 60,000 miles on it at this point. And so many things need to be fixed that I really need to just part it out. It was my primary vehicle before I got the car. I'll be replacing it with something else soon, but I haven't figured out what. I'm secretly hoping KTM comes out with a 690 Adventure...

1854sailor said:

By the look on his face, I don't think the cat likes the idea of a border collie.

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There was bacon/pepperoni pizza behind me when I took that picture, kitty thought she was hunting.

ToeBall said:

Nice, but can you scale the photos down a bit?

Click to expand...

Done!

pknopp said:

Hehe, being a newly graduated electrical engineer he likely has a nice new widescreen monitor as opposed to the 8 year old laptop like I have.



On the more serious side, I'm curious as to how the trailer works also as I'm getting ready to sell my truck and do the trailer thing.

Click to expand...

You stereotype very well. But mechanical*.

I won't be using that trailer very often. It's a trailer my grandfather built, I just brought it back to work so I could do a general inspection, fix lighting, put in a bedliner, and whatever else needs to be done. It just weighs too much to really use it effectively. But it was solid up to 60 mph on the 1.5 hour drive from home to here.

Looks like your wagon is on the same plan as mine. Albeit I'm 34 and have a 7 year old son.

My plan? Drive it for ten years, then let son earn it as his first car through proven mechanical abilities and solid understanding of cars and driving skill. (And then hopefully he treats it respectfully most of the time, but hehe...who am I kidding? I was 16 with a V-8. Respectful, my @ss.)

Funny, I looked at that photo and immediately recognized (I think) those apartments. I grew up in Blacksburg, went to Tech, now I live out in Oregon. I towed a 5x8 trailer from Blacksburg to Oregon with my old '03 TDI. It was hard, but it did it. Congrats on the new wagon - I love mine!

I miss living in Roanoke. Things were simpler there.

MaverickH1 said:

Yes, sir, I am. Same screen name. The ol' KLR's got 60,000 miles on it at this point. And so many things need to be fixed that I really need to just part it out. It was my primary vehicle before I got the car. I'll be replacing it with something else soon, but I haven't figured out what. I'm secretly hoping KTM comes out with a 690 Adventure...

Click to expand...

I use my real name over there. Pretty dumb, I think. Gonna have it changed one of these days. Adam_C_******** for what it's worth.

My wife and I both ride. She's got a F650GS and I've got an R1200GS. They might get sold off this summer- we're building a house and probably won't have much time for riding. I hate to have them sit. (And I'd like to buy a new Ducati Multistrada after we're done.)

Good luck with everything!

Great pic's - Gorgeous JSW - Good luck on the 15 year thing - We're all living that dream too

A few additions of late. First, I sanded out the entire bed of grandpa's trailer, added a bedliner, serviced the Japanese bearings (he fought in the Pacific in WWII), and rewired it:





In the following picture: tinted windows from Best Buy - Llumar tint, not sure of the exact film type used. As dark as is legal in VA. The car got 31.1 mpg on the way home, as indicated in the car, going upwards in elevation from Roanoke to Bath County. Mom and dad were glad to have their trailer back in time for mulch season. Actually, dad wasn't.



Before I towed it home, though, I added trailer wiring. The next few pictures show the routing I used with Curt part number 55151:







That main power wire only got me to here inside the trunk. I ended up having to get more wire from Advance and making an additional connectrion to the Taillight Converter (Curt Part # 56146).



In the end, the lighting worked great from the car, indicated by volt meter. But the lights on the trailer ended up having a grounding issue that I fixed once I got home. All in all, I still love this car. And the ol' truck.

Also, one of the few things I've disliked about MY car since new was a noise somewhere in the vents. When you used the "face" vents, it was a buzzing noise like there was flashing on the plastic molding inside the vents. Well I finally realized that I might be able to SEE it with a flashlight... and sure enough:



It looks like the kind of little plastic strip that you rip off to use the adhesives on a USPS priority package. So, awesome. Some of the dash will need to be ripped apart to get this stupid thing out of the vents.

Nice seeing a new wagon.

I am also Graduating from college this May, purchasing a 2012 JSW 6MT, maybe with Pano, but I'm on the fence for it. Should have a full time job offer Monday! and a new car in a few weeks after. Love that it can be used for so much and had fun with. I was a huge fan of the older 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagons, but the premium gas, and getting sub par gas mileage hurts as I drive a subaru now, and its bad.

blaze741 said:

Nice seeing a new wagon.

I am also Graduating from college this May, purchasing a 2012 JSW 6MT, maybe with Pano, but I'm on the fence for it. Should have a full time job offer Monday! and a new car in a few weeks after. Love that it can be used for so much and had fun with. I was a huge fan of the older 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagons, but the premium gas, and getting sub par gas mileage hurts as I drive a subaru now, and its bad.

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I hope you get to be excited about it! This purchase of mine dragged out WAY too long and had many disappointments in it.

And congrats.

Yup that cat is on a mission alright. Oh, the car is nice too