GPS Mounting Options

 

Hello All,

I received a warning in California last week for having my GPS attached to my windshield mount. It was a rental car and I don't like to trael with sand bags. Does anyone know of a portable mounting option that will work in most rental cars?

thx,
Jen

Ouch

jennyzita wrote:

I received a warning in California last week for having my GPS attached to my windshield mount.

I can't imagine why everybody doesn't use the beanbag exclusively, so I can't recommend anything else. There is the hard rubber non-skid version, but I'm guessing that if you don't like the beanbag, you wouldn't like it either.

Now, can you give us more detail on the warning? I have friends with the w/s mount.
1.) Where were you stopped?
2.) By whom (hwy patrol, county sheriff, local/city pd?
3.) Was the stop just for the GPS, or did they stop you for something else and then add the warning for the GPS?

Yours is the first instance I've heard of anybody being hassled.

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Nuvi 660 -- and not upgrading it or maps until Garmin fixes long-standing bugs/problems, and get maps to where they are much more current, AND corrected on a more timely basis when advised of mistakes.

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You can use the beanbag mount, the sticky disk on the dash, or there are there are third party vent mounts available.

Once you've been given a warning, I wouldn't chance it again.

Other Options

Look through here and see if anything meets your needs. www.mountguys.com

Walmart has this dash mount

Walmart has this dash mount you may like http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8154370 . I use the 3 legged friction mount and it works well for me.

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

GPS Mount Options

I gave this problem of placement and thieft of my GPS a lot thought. So, I made my own mouting system.
I bought a stickey jelly pad at my local car wash ($5,98), brought it to a glass dealer and had him cut and glue a piece of 1/2 plexiglass($8.00) on the pad. I have used this for about a week. It is very light and easy to store. I have tried to make it move and it just stays still, no matter how fast or how sharp I turned. Also it is very flat to put in a suitcase. It will only work on flat surface. It works for me and maybe for you

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Paul..... Nuvi 765T

Good idea

Sounds like you came up with a good idea that keeps the cost low but does the job.

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

Travel...

The one thing that that I do not like about traveling with my bean bag is the extra weight! If you travel in and out of airports as much as I do even this slight amount of weight is tough to carry around..

Did they pull you ovr strickly for the Windsheild mount or for something else??

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It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same. With all of our running and all of our cunning, If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.

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Motorcycle Mama wrote:

You can use the beanbag mount, the sticky disk on the dash, or there are there are third party vent mounts available.

Once you've been given a warning, I wouldn't chance it again.

Jennyzita wrote that she got this warning in a rental car and was asking if a portable option was available. None of the above options was very viable when traveling and using a rental car. I bring my suction mount with me but I don't mount the unit. I just lay it on the dash of the rental car and wedge it between the windshield and the dash. Haven't lost it yet.

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******************Garmin Nüvi 1300T****************Member 6523*******************

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I've simply set my nuvi on the seat next to me. The unit is so sensitive that I've had no problems whatsoever with navigation.

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(2) Nuvi 1450LMT + 3597LMTHD + 2557LMT + DS61LMT-S Boston MA

??

...that is a link to the bean-bag mount?!?

Vent Mounts

You can also look on eBay for a Vent Mount.

They work very well, but I heard they can also break a louver or two on the Vent.

Ray

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No matter where you are "Life is Worth Living".

Bean Bag Mount

I finally sat down and ordered my bean bag mount from Amazon a couple of days ago. I have no problem with the suction cup during the winter but we have already had a couple of warm(ish) days and it has fallen off once already. It seems that once the windshield warms up, it just doesn't want to stay attached. I assume the air trapped between the windshield and the suction cup heats up and expands, blowing the seal.

Bean Bag Mount

Amazon has the Brackton mount on sale every week or so for around $15. It is great and makes it very easy to put your gps under the seat - out of sight when you leave the car.

I bought the vent mount and

I bought the vent mount and I wasn't too happy with it. My car's vents are angled, so it wouldn't allow for a stable sitting.

For my car I found what i think was the perfect solution...I used the suction cup on top of the tach gauge. My car is automatic, so I didn't need to see it anyway. Good reception, no glare and almost hidden from potential thieves.

Suction Mount

Some time back there was a suggestion to put chapstick on the suction cup to make it hold better and be easy to remove. I used this method last summer in Texas where it is hot and never had a problem with it falling off or with problems removing it. It does leave a noticeable ring on the windshield.

Mounting Options

After seeing the last few posts, I think everyone got off topice from the inital post. She is looking for a NON-bean bag mount (sand bag comment) and initial problem was a warning for using a suction cup mount.

I think that dwindles down your options to things like cup holder mount, cig adapter mount, and the vent mount since you do not want anything of weight.

Check here www.mountguys.com
The cig adapter mount might be your easiest alternative but that depends on where the cig is located.

Thanks To All

Hello All,
Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I like the idea of making a custom mount. Will experiment with 3M double sided adhesive tape (easily removed with no residue) along with a small piece of plexiglass.

In answer to a couple questions, I was pulled over by a State Patrol officer. He was very nice (didn't stare down my blouse too much). He said that windshield mounts are a big safety risk. May have a point. I would watch movies if Garmin supported iTunes.

Jen

re: Thanks To All

"...I was pulled over by a State Patrol officer.He was very nice (didn't stare down my blouse too much)."

Funny comment that made me think. Does this happen a lot for you to bring it up? I didn't realize that they can just pull you over for that unless you have some kind of moving violation.

Custom mount

Tips for when I made the plexiglass and jelly pad mount. I tried Home Depot plexiglass and the suction cup would not stick. The Glass shop told me that they have a better finish on their plexy. A 3"x4"x1/4" piece will work fine. Try the cup on the plexy to make sure it sticks. He was right, It has been two weeks and the cup and plexy have not come apart. I used Liquid Nails to glue the pad to the plexy. I made one for a friend that travels a lot. He told me that he just takes it out of his brief case and uses it on rental cars,and it works like a charm.
I also tried Velcro, double sided tape, an empty peanut butter jar with a smooth blue plastic lid in my cup holder. The pj jar was so-so it wobbled. I hope this has helped.

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Paul..... Nuvi 765T