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My Garmin GPS mount

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by chakrax, Sep 7, 2012.

  1. chakrax

    chakrax Junior Member

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    Here is how I've mounted my Garmin Nuvi GPS - just wedged in the standard mount into the space between the steering wheel column and the dash. You can unlock the wheel, put the mount in, push the wheel up to hold the mount and then lock it. I added a little rubber sticky pad on the top side to hold the mount and dampen any vibrations. I also routed the power cord so you hardly see any of it.

    Drawbacks:
    You need to pull the steering wheel out a bit, so that the rotation of the wheel does not hit the GPS.
    The GPS is blocked when you are rotating the wheel.

    Advantages:
    No cost!
    Very accessible, good visibility.

    Not sure if this will work for other GPS's, but it works for the Garmin Nuvi.
     

    Attached Files:

    michinnom likes this.
  2. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    I use a bean bag with my Garmin. Around here, you don't want to let anyone know you have a GPS.
     
  3. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Looks good... Ya know for a few bucks you could buy a female receptacle for your plugin power and then splice the wires into the cigarette lighter socket from behind. That way you can hide all the wires. It's easy to do and will give a much cleaner look!
     
  4. rsgillmd

    rsgillmd Junior Member

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    How do you unlock the wheel?
     
  5. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    There's a lever right on the bottom of the steering column. Pull it down to unlock the column, make your adjustments, then push the lever back up to lock the settings.
     
  6. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    These forums are like déjà vu. Since I joined there have been about 15 new threads on where did you mount your GPS. I keep posting the same pic in all of them. I get the same comments in all of them to.

    [​IMG]

    I have a new GPS now. I am just to lazy to take a new pic.
     
  7. chakrax

    chakrax Junior Member

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    Thanks for all the responses. I see it as an advantage that there is no modification to the car; I can remove all this very easily. For that reason, I don't even like sticking that circular mounting piece onto the top of the dashboard. I know I can splice the wires in, but that's too much work. The floating center console hides the wire anyway.

    Judgeless, you are correct that there are a lot of threads about GPS mount locations. I've searched the forums for ideas in the past. I felt this was a new way that I had not seen posted before, and I thought other folks may benefit. As to your mounting location - it may be ok if you just listen to the directions; but IMHO looking down at the screen could be a slight safety hazard.
     
  8. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    That is the same response I get everytime I post that pic in a thread about GPS mounting. I can see it and it works for me.
     
  9. zebelkhan

    zebelkhan Member in good standing

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    I have a Garmin Nuvi 1390 with lifetime map and traffic I bought a year ago for $54 (factory refurbished). I suction cup mounted it to the little window in the left A pillar. Its wire runs under the dash to the power socket in the center console. Most of the wire, except for a few inches, is hidden from view and cannot be seen. It also turns on and off automatically when I start the car or shut it down. It is out of the way, so it is legal, yet I can glance at it when I need to without taking my eyes off the road. Because it is mounted to the side, it does not bother my eyes at night either.

    IMG_1117[1].JPG
     
    Robert Holt likes this.
  10. michinnom

    michinnom Member

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    Brilliant!!! Best mount location so far! Thank you so much for posting the pics.
     
  11. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    I don't like the idea of reaching around or through the steering wheel so I mounted mine on the dash, left of the steering wheel. It has great accessibility and you don 't have to take your eyes of the road while driving. And yes, I stuck the mounting plate to the IP.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Robert Holt

    Robert Holt Senior Member

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    I used the right side window behind the A pillar as my mount for a 5 inch Tom Tom model. Location works for my team as passenger Always does navigation . We keep the central Toyota nav system zoomed out for an overview whilst the TomTom does auto zoom-in for details at intersections, etc. seems to work and Tom Tom has lifetime updates so we should not need Toyota ones, which are ridiculously overpriced.
     
  13. ursle

    ursle Gas miser

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    Ah, not an unbearable question, the bean bag won't stay on the gen3 dash, and I bean bag, a little maxi shock (the wire I use to encompass the large animals I feed and water) which is excellent as binding wire around the bean and tru the vent ventricles by the tiny right forward window and it stays, power is hidden??? it is not a hindrance to forward vision and is far away enough that I don't play with it while driving...
     
  14. Robert Holt

    Robert Holt Senior Member

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    How did you hide the power cord? Pictures?
    The TomTom cord has an antenna that receives traffic and construction zone information while we drive, a big plus, so we have to use that rather awkward cord. I routed it through lower part of glove compartment. image.jpg
    I also want to make sure I am not tempted to play with it whilst driving. Got first GPS in 1990s and was so fascinated with the display that I ran onto the shoulder , so had to turn it off and throw it under the passenger's seat to prevent myself from playing with it. Lesson learned!
     
  15. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    A great feature of my Garmin 3790 is voice activation. You don 't have to mess with it, just talk to it.
     
  16. lenjack

    lenjack Active Member

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    Beanbag mount works perfectly for me.
     
  17. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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  18. Mary Lou Barnett

    Mary Lou Barnett New Member

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  19. Mary Lou Barnett

    Mary Lou Barnett New Member

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    How did you install the software for that GPS, I have a Garmin 1400 series I want to install.
     
  20. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    He hasn't been on here in almost two years.