Mega_Mod: The Final Touch!

At first I just had the Garmin in the Center console and there it blocked one of my big cup holders. Also I thought it was to low for easy viewing. My Garmin was stolen the other day and the thieves cut all wires so I had the chance to start new...

I ordered the same Garmin again - the Garmin Nuvi 5000 as discussed in the blogs below. This time I ordered a re-furb one from eBay and just paid about $190 including S&H. So I think I am OK with that.

I wanted to place the Garmin somewhere where it is easy to see without turning the head too much. I do not like the windscreen mounts as it blocks some of the view. For some time I played with the idea to place it on the overhead console. Routing the wires there is not a big deal. But there is no real fastener to carry the extra weight and avoid vibrations. In addition it requires the external antenna to improve the detectability of the satellites. I have the antenna but it needs to be plugged into the Garmin directly and it is a pain to remove each time you get the Garmin out of the cradle. I guess thats the reason why I always left it it in the truck and hence got it stolen. After some thoughts I moved away from the idea.

In the meantime I purchased the ARKON cup holder stand from eBay. I tied it at first in the cup holder but the arm was vibrating and I could not really fix the thing in the cup holes.


Back to the dashboard at the radio somewhere. The Dodge RAM has an opening underneath the Radio and it appears to be the perfect spot. I removed the dashboard (see Page 8) and got to the 1" by 5" black plastic box that sits right under the radio.

I also had some metal rail from the kitchen remodeling (IKEA) that I mounted inside the box. Note that the square will ride in the rail and I can adjust the lateral position easily and whenever I want. I did cut a thread into the square and the positions is fixed with the screw.

You may also notice the top from the Arkon cup holder ...? I just cut it to length and also did cut a thread in the top two parts. This way they rotate onto the screw.





Here are the parts fixed inside the black box:





Now putting it all back together. Here is a shot of the parts back under the radio. Notice the rubber mat that is typically in the box. I cut it so it blends the front.



Here with the cradle attached:



I am not happy yet with the rubber mat. I will probably think of something else. But this is all I had available at the point. There are brush openings for computer desks that might work here and allow me to laterally move the holder inside the brush.

And finally here is the finished product:





I almost exclusively operate my radio from the steering wheel controls. I am not concerned that I do not see the buttons completely.