Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

ateixeira

Outback sales were up 133% last month, that mail box may fill up and bounce back e-mails!

Make sure you tell the folks in the 2010 Legacy/Outback thread if you haven't already.

Edit: of course you did. :shades:

ladywclass

It's been a bit quiet around here lately. Guess everyone else has been as busy as we have!

We're winding down to the end of the school year - complete with a local 'scandal' ... seems our school superintendent has been "secretly married" to another central office administrator for the past 5 years ... he has resigned ... it's still settling out ...

ateixeira

I guess they skipped the classes on Ethics?

I've been busy at work, but things are going well.

tsy

Yeah, I was just noticing that too.

Our office just switched over to an electronic charting system- now I spend twice as much time charting and half the time with my patients! How's that for progress! :mad:

But things are slowly settling down and I'm definitely looking forward to some more free time!

I hope everyone else is doing well?

tom

xwesx

Spring time = busy; there is just no way around it! My family is doing well, though. My son is on his last week of kindergarten, my wife is getting our garden readied for planting and building rabbit hutches, and I am doing various automotive, house, and yard projects. I spent most of this weekend playing with the children and replacing the struts on my Escort (sometimes both at the same time! ).

fibber2

Busy here too. I'm spending millions for new Focused Ion Beam tools for my lab to gear up for the next generation of microchips. I was out on the West Coast the end of April doing evaluations, plus all the facilities work for bring them in.

And of course it is Spring - spending too much on shrubs and plants, designing new beds (I want less grass to cut!). The kids have lots of end of school year activities.

But hey, none of this is bad - just busy!

hammerhead

Nothing like a comment about how quiet it is in here to get things moving again...

Busy here as well. Bride has a new job that she's thrilled with, hours are a little screwy through the training phase but will get better, and a healthy pay bump doesn't hurt. Oldest son's baseball team swept the league leader the last two games of the season to take a share of the championship, post-season starts Wednesday. Middle kid marched in the junior parade this weekend, and we combined a Cinco de Mayo birthday (mine) with Mother's day on Saturday, since I had to work Sunday.

Whew!:)

Cheers!
Paul

ladywclass

DH also has a "new" job although at the same company where he's been working .. still in a training phase and they seem to be working him hard ... I think he'll like it and it comes with a significant pay increase - coming close to what he was making with overtime with the old rate ... (after being laid off for 4 months last year - this year has been busy for his company) go figure ..

xwesx

Here's a cute shot of one of our springtime activities. We had just finished assembling a cargo carrier for the Forester:

tsy

Hey wes, umm, they don't ride back there, do they? (they're cute!)

Do you have a trunk that goes with that? I was thinking about getting something like that for our truck so I wouldn't have to put on the cargo box. It seems a lot easier to load!

tom

xwesx

Haha; no, Tom, not unless they're strapped down!

I do not have a trunk for it... not yet, anyway. I was considering a cargo bag, but have not yet pulled the trigger on that. The primary reasons I purchased it was for my annual dipnet trip, to haul full-size coolers to the beach and back for storing salmon, and for refilling my 100# propane tank. I think the bag could come in useful, but we have enough 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes (three fit nicely across it) that the cargo bag may be more overkill than anything.

The primary difficulty in downsizing to the Forester from a minivan is the loss of cargo space. With the hatch space, the roof tray, and the hitch tray, I have about the same carrying capacity as my van did (just on the inside!), but I do have to take overloading into consideration. I was looking at trailers for a while, but my wife is not too keen on getting one. She wouldn't mind having it, but she does not want to have to store it.

stever

Ah, Juneau boots. I never knew if mine were on the right feet either.

Great pic!

(it's chat night btw)

fibber2

I was thinking the same thing! My next call was to Child Protective Services! They are cute. Take better care of them. Inside the car next time.

At one time, Harbor Freight sold a lightweight folding trailer that didn't take up much storage space but was large enough for my friend to take his lawn tractor in for servicing.

Missed the chat tonight. Slept thru it... I think the flu or some related bug is making a second swing thru the household.

ateixeira

That looks extremely useful. Nice.

What's the max tongue weight for a hitch? 200 lbs? Or is it 240?

Who says you can't carry 7 in a Forester.

tsy

Yes, I can see how that would be super useful for carrying a large icechest. You might need to beef up the suspension if you want to carry all that stuff though!

Do you have a net or a bunch of straps to strap everything down?

Maybe you could install some seat belts back there for the kids?

tom

ateixeira

BRAT-style.

xwesx

Take better care of them. Inside the car next time.

Oh, okay. They're just so darned noisy! Besides, they like riding in the back.... :P

xwesx

The max weight listed for the tongue is 10% of total trailer weight, not to exceed 200#.

With the tray on there and me on the tray (combined weight of probably 220#), the rear suspension deflects 2.5". The tray itself is rated to hold a maximum of 400#, as is the trailer hitch (class-3). But, a 200# load on the tray is probably about the most I would ever put there given the size constraints, etc.

The main advantage of a trailer is being able to haul more weight without the car's suspension having to bear the brunt of it!

Steve - I don't really like those gimmicky folding trailers because they can't take much of a load and aren't too good with distance; I would probably kill it in short order on both counts.

I want to get something along the lines of this:

xwesx

I might need to do that! I actually crawled under there last weekend to see if there are any good points to mount a set of small air shocks, but it doesn't look promising. I kinda doubt we'll end up loading it THAT heavily, but it doesn't take too much to exceed the 900# load limit (including passengers!). I don't mind exceeding the limit by a couple hundred pounds, but beyond that and things start getting damaged if you do it too much (like springs, wheel bearings, A-arms....) - especially on Alaskan roads!

We have a net and plenty of straps, ropes, etc. Crazy loads are my specialty. :shades:

grahampeters

G'day

Cute kids. The little one looks worryingly like my now sixteen year old daughter who has always been keen to help her dad. At about that age, we would ask "Tamsin, what are you doing?" to receive the response "I'm doing!". She is still "Doing" and very proud of her skills with tools - apparently immense credibility when you do school shop classes more competently than boys.

ON the hitch tray, doesn't it play hell with the handling when loaded? All that weight counterbalanced behind the rear wheels must be an issue.

Regards

Graham

xwesx

My daughter certainly has an independent spirit. The other day at a local home improvement warehouse, I was looking at plumbing supplies when I hear her say, "I'll be right back, Dad... I'll be right back!" Here, a 2.5 year-old is telling her dad this while she purposefully struts away to the cart (left behind because it was loaded with lumber). Several other shoppers were chuckling under their breath. I finally collected her and made it back to the plumbing isle when another man says, "she's going to be a handful when she gets older! You know, that was her second trip to your cart!" Yeah.... she's a handful now; I don't even want to imagine "older"!

I haven't driven it with it loaded down yet. It might play hell if I have quite a load there. I actually want to have a front-mounted hitch receiver fabricated for the car so I can put that tray up front and have the rear receiver available for other things (like a trailer). Putting the tray's load up there might help balance things out a little. However, I cannot find a commercial manufacturer that makes one for the Forester (though I can get one for a Ford Escape or Chevy Equinox from at least a couple different places) but haven't looked into pricing for a custom build yet.

fibber2

BigTex looks like the big brother of my trailer. Mine is rated at 2000 lbs gross, which matches the rating of my '02 OBW. I added the plywood interior so that I can haul garden mulch and other loose stuff more easily. Downside is that the interior is exactly 8', so the plywood front and back make it impossible to carry 8' lengths! I'm thinking of replacing those two with galvanized sheet metal to regain the interior length.

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

subearu

What's the weight limit of that cargo tray? Seems most are usually for 300 - 500 lbs. which is surely under the limit of the maximum towing capacity of the Forester and shouldn't impact the overall handling too much. (though what is the tongue weight limit, as that probably is more suitable for using with regards to a cargo tray)

Now, if one has the cargo hatch packed full, the roof carrier loaded, as well as the cargo tray on the hitch, well, I'm sure you'd notice handling differences.

We went camping a couple years ago and loaded up our MPV pretty much floor to roof behind the 2nd row seats. I could tell we were nearing the limit just by looking at the rear sagging a bit. Kids wanted the bikes along, so I attached the 4 bike hitch rack as well. With the hitch rack and 4 bikes, I think we were probably at 200 lbs. which is still within the tongue weight limit on the MPV.

-Brian

ateixeira

Sheet steel sounds like a good idea. Would you weld it in?

fibber2

The only 'real tool' that I don't own is a welder. I keep promising myself that someday I'm going to take an adult-ed class and learn how.

I attached the wood by drilling thru the steel frame and using small wood screws, so I'll have to substitute some small fasteners or pop-rivets.

ladywclass

We have built up a fund to remodel a bathroom (which has been mostly 'torn apart' for over 2 years now). AND - I wanted to have 'enough' so we wouldn't be spending everything on the bathroom. I also wrote the other day that DH had his car in to be fixed. The 1st estimate was just under $2000. Seems the head gasket also has to be replaced (among other things). This doesn't surprise me. We had suspected it all along. Now the bill is heading upward of $4000 - which for the work being done seems to be in the right area.
Conversation last night went something like this ...
He: So I had to go pay the garage a deposit on the work being done.
She: I'll transfer some $$ so you have it for the car.
He: Isn't that going to put a big dent in the 'bathroom fund'?
She: I think we'll still have enough.
He: I hate to take it out, but I hate to put it on credit card.
She: Isn't that always the way if you think you have a little bit of a cushion?
He: I TOLD you to get them started on the bathroom. If you keep waiting, something ELSE will come up and we won't have enough $$.
(LOL - But it does seem to work that way!)

fibber2

The voice of Gilda Radner in the background: "It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another."

So true!

ateixeira

Wanna borrow my rivet gun? :shades:

fibber2

Thanks for the offer!

I used a lathe in the lab to make an adapter allowing me to set rivnut fasteners in various sizes using my standard rivet gun. If you've never seen or used these, they are way cool. It's an internally threaded rivet used to create a blind recessed nut in any thin metal surface. Think of a rivet that can be unscrewed!

xwesx

Sorry... I was in Madison, WI, for a week and didn't even think to check the forum!

Yeah, the trailer I listed is slightly bigger - a 5x10 box, I do believe, and 3500# gross, which the car could handle just fine even if fully loaded (which I would not plan to do, I just want something with enough square footage to be versatile).

I would probably be happy with one like yours, too. The sheet metal is a good idea. With the weight restraints, 1/16" steel would be more than plenty to support loose material inside, but if the bed is exactly 8', wouldn't that even prevent the ramp from closing? It seems silly that they would make it to an exact dimension like that. For example, my pickup has a 4'2" x 8'4" bed, which means it can swallow 4x8 sheets perfectly while allowing the gate to close without difficulty.

I love the green of your car; they put a nice burgundyish red on them that year, too.

xwesx

The tray manufacturer lists the max weight as 400# for the Rola 59500. Definitely under the towing capacity, but the tongue weight limit is listed as 200#. This tray, being partly polypropylene, only weighs 35# itself so there is plenty left for carrying items.

I really do want to put a front-mount hitch receiver on the car, but I need to work with a fabricator to figure out how to put one on there in such a way as to be useful, subtle, and not interfere too much with ground clearance.

fibber2

The trailer is made by Carry-On Corp, and is sold at Lowes Homecenters for under $600 so it's easy enough to own and live with. No insurance, just plates and inspection. http://www.carry-ontrailer.com/

I have the 5x8G http://carryontrailercorp.thomasnet.com/item/2000-lb-gvwr-mesh-floor-trailers-2/- - - - 2000-lb-gvwr-mesh-floor-trailers/5x8g?&seo=110

When they say interior dimensions of 60" x 96", they mean it - with less than 1/8" to spare. The tailgate ramp is heavy and I don't really need it that often. I've thought about making a small replacement gate out of wood that had a sufficient bump-out to increase the length a few inches. Only downside is that this would lighten the back end a lot, and increase the tongue weight some. Notice that the axle is back past the midpoint of the rig by a full foot - done in part to counterbalance the tailgate.

With a net weight of 350 lbs, the offset axle and massive tailgate makes it almost perfectly balanced. I can lift the hitch coupling and it 'weighs' maybe 10 lbs. But be careful when loading it up with 1650 lbs of cargo at the garden center. That net neutral tongue weight can quickly climb north of 400 lbs if you don't bias the weight towards the rear! As usual, the devil is in the details....

Mods: Aside from the wood floor and sides, I raised the license plate frame and added a rubber coupling as it often tried to crush the plate when I back it into my sloping storage spot. I also added a pivoting/retractable front wheel so that it stands when off the car. That was not easy, as these trailers are very low. I had to cut it down and modify the jack screw point to make it fit and work right.

I used to own a Ford F150 with a full sized bed. I didn't use it enough to justify having another vehicle. While not a perfect substitute, the trailer has filled the gap.

hondafriek

hondafriek

Well this week we traded Rita's protege 5 against a new Mazda3 sport GT. The Impreza just didn't do it for me.

Here is a Picture.or two

Cheers Pat.
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

volkov

I love my utility trailer. It's a solid side and I bought it over the mesh to better haul dirt and debris. One thing I love about mine is the vertical slots fitted for 2x4s to make bigger side walls as needed.

lucien2

sweet ride, Pat! What about it compelled you to choose it over the Impreza?

rsholland

sweet ride, Pat! What about it compelled you to choose it over the Impreza?

I concur, specially in Canada, with all the snow? Regardless, best of luck with it Pat. It is very nice, indeed.

Bob

hondafriek

In two words Loosh, Road noise. This is what I hated most about the Protege5 and I found the Impreza to be almost as noisy. The Mazda3 on the other hand is a very quiet car in comparison. I was not about to spend almost 30 grand Canadian to be just as pissed at the noise every time we took a trip. I know 30 Grand is ridiculous but this is Canada where most cars are up to ten grand more than the same car in the US.

Cheers Pat.

xwesx

Carry-on, huh? That might be a good choice; it looks like the 5x10 version of that lists at about $1000, which is very reasonable. The only problem is that I still have to go to the lower 48 to get a decent price. Even the box stores charge exorbitant prices on trailers up here. :confuse:

tsy

Congrats Pat.

I like the Mazda 3 (well, except for how it looks from the front- dark colors definitely look better than light ones) and I feel like the interior quality is a step up from the Impreza.

But you could always Dynamat the car to make it quieter. Or if it's just road noise sometimes it's just the tires. Changed the tires on my wife's Pilot and the road noise cut in half!

So when are you going to wash it?

tom

ateixeira

Ouch, we can get 'em here for about $17k street price, and that's with the premium package.

I haven't gotten used to Mazda's new face yet...actually that's one of the reasons I got an 08 Miata instead of an 09.

Bob pointed one out to me at the Auto Show, though, and they're very well equipped. Some materials used are above class average, and here the GTs get turn signals in the side mirrors (like the 05-09 Legacy GTs did before those were cost-cut).

Congrats.

fibber2

Don't know if they have Lowes Homecenters near you:

http://www.lowes.com/pl__0__s?Va=27&Ntt=carry-on%20trailers

Another option is Tractor Supply:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/trailers-towing/

hondafriek

Ours is the top of the line with all the bells and whistles, actually the the turn signals were dropped in the states halfway through the model year. They are still on the Canadian top line models though. I didn't like the smiley face in the beginning but it grew on me over time. The interior is well above the class average, has dual auto climate control, Bi zenon headlights with auto level control, rain sensing wipers, auto on headlights,adaptive cruise control,stability and traction control, and on and on.

Cheers Pat.

xwesx

They do, but they carry a very limited variety in stock. They have a 5x10 locally, but it only has an axle rating of 2000# with payload capacity of 1350#. At $1,350, I would much rather spend $1,000 on the unit with the3500# axle and haul it 2500 miles back to Alaska! My family will probably be outside next year again, so that will be a good time to seriously consider one.

As for Tractor Supply, it looks like Montana is the closest location.

ateixeira

I like the interior as well, better than the Miata's. Convertibles are more about durability vs. soft-touch materials, of course.

grahampeters

G'day

I saw this and immediately thought of a needy cause:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/249959/

I've always wanted a Subaru that would match a Lamborghini!

Cheers

Graham

ateixeira

Before anyone says it - the privacy glass along would keep that from being legal here in the USA.

You can always move though!

rsholland

Saw that yesterday. It's priced at $71,398 US dollars (I think juice just fainted). And with only 75 being made, expect dealer markups. Finally, as far as I know, it's UK-spec only.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/25/cosworth-puts-the-spurs-to-subarus-impreza-wr- x-sti/

Bob

ateixeira

Actually, the R and the LF-A have paved the way for outrageously priced supercars from Japan, so I'm feeling light headed, but still conscious.

ateixeira

If so these folks are looking for a Mystery Shopper to visit a Subaru dealership:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f20b5f8/0#MSG0