GPS dash mount

[groundhog123]

Just curious as to what some of you have made for a GPSr holder to mount on the dash of your vehicle. I have been trying to think of some way to build a holder for my Garmin Etrex but have been coming up with a blank. If someone has a good idea, I would like to read about it or see pics.

 

I did a search, but came up empty.

[+Juicepig]

no pics but swifteroo build a rack mount from wood and glue, then drilled it into the dash of his car.. of course this somewhat diminishes the resale value... and might cause problems with your airbags if you aren't careful

[+briansnat]

For my 60CSX I just use a $3 adhesive cell phone mount.

 

 

[+Aerodoq]

Just curious as to what some of you have made for a GPSr holder to mount on the dash of your vehicle. I have been trying to think of some way to build a holder for my Garmin Etrex but have been coming up with a blank. If someone has a good idea, I would like to read about it or see pics.

 

I did a search, but came up empty.

 

We use one of those "Universal" cell phone holders that latch on to the centre console air vent. Our Vista Cx fits in the holder fine, and the holder is easily removed from the vent when we don't have the GPS in the car. The holder was $15 or so, but I bet you can get them cheaper if you look around. Ebay?

 

A>

[+Thrak]

Buy a mount from Garmin or RAM. I use a combination. I like the RAM suction mount but hated their cradle for my 76CSx so I use an adapter to put the actual Garmin cradle on the RAM mount. It works great for me. One of my sons is getting my daughter a 76CSx for Christmas and I'm just purchasing a standard Garmin suction dash mount for her with an extra base for her other vehicle.

 

There's a thread here somewhere with pictures of various mounts folks have devised. One guy took an old casette tape and superglued a piece of plexiglass to it. He sticks that in the tape player and uses a suction mount to hold the unit to the plexiglass.

[+meralgia]

poor-womans' GPS mount... just cram it between the dash and the window!

 

BTW, briansnat, is it a Honda?

Edited November 29, 2007 by meralgia

[Mag Magician]

poor-womans' GPS mount... just cram it between the dash and the window!

 

Not just "poor-women". Almost every Dodge I've owned has let me stick the Garmin on the dash and the windshield holds the top very well.

[crawil]

Car GPSr holder = my wife.

 

I'm not sure that I could replace her since she often finds the caches that I can't.

[+Sono/Rad]

I glued my Garmin mount to my dash using a little E-6000 industrial strength craft adhesive. It has held for two years even in the Texas heat.

[groundhog123]

poor-womans' GPS mount... just cram it between the dash and the window!

 

BTW, briansnat, is it a Honda?

 

I've used that method in my Chevy truck and it works well, but it will not work in my wife's Mini or my daughters Datsun. The dashes are too small. Every time I have tried it in the cars, the unit just winds up in the floor. Maybe I drive a little too crazy sometimes.

[+Team Black-Cat]

A small strip of industrial strength Velcro works pretty well. I put a little strip around a pen and stuck that to the dash also.

 

Otherwise, there's always duct tape.

[+HarleyPiper]

Sticky-backed velcro works great on the chromed part of my motorcycle gas tank too. Mounts horizontally with a good viewing angle, and it's easy to remove for lunch/overnight stops.

[+meralgia]

A small strip of industrial strength Velcro works pretty well. I put a little strip around a pen and stuck that to the dash also.

 

Otherwise, there's always duct tape.

Sure, and don't forget your geocaching outfit so you don't have to avoid the poison ivy and sand burrs!

Edited November 29, 2007 by meralgia

[+Team Black-Cat]

Sure, and don't forget your geocaching outfit so you don't have to avoid the poison ivy and sand burrs!

 

Ok.... A million and three uses.

Edited November 29, 2007 by Team Black-Cat

[NightShift79]

poor-womans' GPS mount... just cram it between the dash and the window!

 

Not just "poor-women". Almost every Dodge I've owned has let me stick the Garmin on the dash and the windshield holds the top very well.

 

we cache in robin's dodge ram 2500 and he has often practiced this method of "mounting".....either that or we just use the "mandy" brand gps holder. its a rather smart little system if i do say so myself.....

[+briansnat]

BTW, briansnat, is it a Honda?

 

Yes, 2003 CRV

[+Rockin Roddy]

VELCRO!! Works great on my dash and my motorcycle!! Cheap and easily removed (if ever wanted to).

[+meralgia]

BTW, briansnat, is it a Honda?

Yes, 2003 CRV

Bwa ha ha. A woman who knows cars (by the windshield wiper stick) AND goes geocaching! Too bad I'm taken!

Edited November 29, 2007 by meralgia

[+mark&beth]

Just curious as to what some of you have made for a GPSr holder to mount on the dash of your vehicle. I have been trying to think of some way to build a holder for my Garmin Etrex but have been coming up with a blank. If someone has a good idea, I would like to read about it or see pics.

 

I did a search, but came up empty.

 

We use one of those "Universal" cell phone holders that latch on to the centre console air vent. Our Vista Cx fits in the holder fine, and the holder is easily removed from the vent when we don't have the GPS in the car. The holder was $15 or so, but I bet you can get them cheaper if you look around. Ebay?

 

A>

 

We got our cell phone holders at the Dollar Store for ~$5 I think. It clips onto the heater vent and works quite good!

[groundhog123]

Thanks guys for the great ideas.

[+StarBrand]

poor-womans' GPS mount... just cram it between the dash and the window!

 

BTW, briansnat, is it a Honda?

good to know I am not the only one that caches that way. The good mount is in our family vehicle. In mine the cram method works well enough.

[+meralgia]

good to know I am not the only one that caches that way. The good mount is in our family vehicle. In mine the cram method works well enough.

I'd rather purchase quality swag and cache containers than spend money on a GPS mount!

[Team Moped]

I fashioned a small aluminum backing plate for one of those adhesive mounts to wedge between 2 parts of my dashboard. It holds pretty well, and doesn't leave any adhesive behind.

[+Scare Force One]

I stuck a peice of velcro on the dash and another on GPSr. Really easy to hook on an off and will not fall off.

 

~.~Scare Force One

[+JimAHS]

I'm actually using a GPSr I got for Christmas last year (before I had even heard of geocaching) that is used for driving--a Mio Digiwalker...think TomTom, but cheaper. It came with a dashboard mount. Not the best for geocaching but I haven't decided to fork over the money to purchase a more appropriate device. Great for driving, a little awkward as I approach a cache...but it works for now.

[+Too Tall John]

poor-womans' GPS mount... just cram it between the dash and the window!

 

BTW, briansnat, is it a Honda?

good to know I am not the only one that caches that way. The good mount is in our family vehicle. In mine the cram method works well enough.

I had been doing that with my eTrex Legend, but am pretty sure the wear on the rubber gasket, especially up near the top, helped cause it's failure. Too it back to good 'ole LL Bean & upgraded to the HCx. No more windshield for this baby!

 

Not to mention, I think if you check your manual it will cause your windshield to shatter that much more easily if there is something wedged into it.

 

I haven't done it yet, but I think I'm going to try briansnat's idea. It is, after all, exactly what it is made for.

[+team lagonda]

Shouldnt the gps be mounted flat so it picks up the satilites....

[+Chuy!]

Shouldnt the gps be mounted flat so it picks up the satilites....

No, my monochrome Vista, Venture Cx and Vista HCx work fine in vertical position. It's ideal to hold it horizontal, but it's also ideal to have 35psi in your tires (or whatever the manufacture recommends); 34 or 36psi is not going to affect performance much.

 

The biggest obstacle is going to be the roofline of the car. Jeeps with their almost vertical windshields are the most susceptible to blocking sat signals. SiRF chips and "H" series work best here.

Edited December 3, 2007 by Chuy!

[+Peecis]

to avoid vibrations I put my magellan mount on bike mirror

[olmeca]

A big splodge of this on the dashboard holds my GPS just fine. Cheap, easy to use and you can remove it without leaving any trace so thieves dont brake your car window to see if you have left the GPS in the cubbyhole.

 

[+DocDiTTo]

This is on my Christmas list:

 

 

And the link is here in case the picture doesn't show. It turns a windshield mount into a dashboard mount. Amazon has it for about $25 shipped.

It's called a Nav-Mat, made by Bracketron.

[Tahosa and Sons]

On my explorer I can just place it between the window and dash. On the van I've made a bean bag that is nestles in. And then my kids got me a real mount. So then I glued the mount to a plastic cutting board with some safety strips on the bottom and can now use it in any vehicle that I own. Just unplug the GPS and take it with you when the proximity alarm says cache.

[+joranda]

I bought a window mount for my 60 CSX but I'm back to setting it in my cup holder between the seats so I can get to it better.

[+linzypooh49]

We have a GPSmap 60 and a Dodge Durango. Would the RAM suction mount work? Does anyone have any other ideas? I know that it is getting close but I wanted to get something for hubby for x-mas. Right now he sometimes shoves it between the dadhboard console and the rubber on our antenna is wearing thin. Thanks

[+DocDiTTo]

We have a GPSmap 60 and a Dodge Durango. Would the RAM suction mount work? Does anyone have any other ideas? I know that it is getting close but I wanted to get something for hubby for x-mas. Right now he sometimes shoves it between the dadhboard console and the rubber on our antenna is wearing thin. Thanks

 

I use a RAM mount in my Durango with my 60CSx. Works great. I love RAM mounts.

[+team lagonda]

Duct tape....

[+Team Cotati]

On my explorer I can just place it between the window and dash. On the van I've made a bean bag that is nestles in. And then my kids got me a real mount. So then I glued the mount to a plastic cutting board with some safety strips on the bottom and can now use it in any vehicle that I own. Just unplug the GPS and take it with you when the proximity alarm says cache.

 

Got that there alarm set for 2 miles does we?

[+Team Cotati]

RAM is ok, however mountguys are superior. That's why I prefer them.

[+team lagonda]

Cotati,,Hotti,,....''Ram''....''mount guys'' ? ....mmmmm....''thats what i prefer''..mmmmmm....LOL....not that theres anything wrong with that if thats what your into....lol....

Edited December 22, 2007 by team lagonda

[+Berjr1]

Sounds like your trying to re-invent the wheel here

 

I used this one for a while with my etrex etrex mount

 

I know have a 60Csx and use this set up Mount with a friction mount bean bag and i have been very happy with it

 

Power cords also save tons of batteries too

[+Berjr1]

Sounds like your trying to re-invent the wheel here

 

I used this one for a while with my etrex etrex mount

 

I know have a 60Csx and use this set up Mount with a friction mount bean bag and i have been very happy with it

 

Power cords also save tons of batteries too

[+Take A Hike!]

Thanks for bringing up the topic. I got a 60 CSX for Christmas and was wondering what device to buy to use for mounting on my dash. After reading this forum, I discovered it sits nicely tucked in between the dash and windshield of my Grand Caravan.

[+Rattlebars]

This antique mounts thusly with Velcro on my Gold Wing. For the truck, I simply got a very tall stainless cup from the dollar store and put Velcro on the flat top to match what you see by the key. The cup holder is on the floor in front of the console. Just set the cup in the holder. This places my GPSr so it does not block any view, but is still easy to glance at. As an extra, it swivels! Sorry, no pic of that mount tho.

 

[+linzypooh49]

We have a GPSmap 60 and a Dodge Durango. Would the RAM suction mount work? Does anyone have any other ideas? I know that it is getting close but I wanted to get something for hubby for x-mas. Right now he sometimes shoves it between the dadhboard console and the rubber on our antenna is wearing thin. Thanks

 

I use a RAM mount in my Durango with my 60CSx. Works great. I love RAM mounts.

 

Which one do you have? The adhesive or the suction cup?

[+Octopusann]

I have a Garmin 60CSX and use a vent mounted mobile phone holder which cost under £5. I have a USB connector which goes into the 12V socket so I can run it from the car too. Saves batteries!!!

 

[+DocDiTTo]

We have a GPSmap 60 and a Dodge Durango. Would the RAM suction mount work? Does anyone have any other ideas? I know that it is getting close but I wanted to get something for hubby for x-mas. Right now he sometimes shoves it between the dadhboard console and the rubber on our antenna is wearing thin. Thanks

 

I use a RAM mount in my Durango with my 60CSx. Works great. I love RAM mounts.

 

Which one do you have? The adhesive or the suction cup?

 

3" suction cup. (Or maybe it's 3.5"? It's not the 4 inch one though, that I know)