Houston |
Berlin |
7/11/09
6/14/09
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.
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.
12/14/08
Mega_Mod: Concept to Reality
Further down was the conceptual layout. Here are now a few pics of the real deal:
Starting from the back - here is the camera mounted to view - slightly tilted - towards the center and the hitch ball. There was no other place other than to drill through the licence plate (not allowed). So unless I get me one of the licence plate cameras it will stay here.
Here is the connector to the Camper. This is the same as described in one of the previous posts.
From there the camera and the connector terminate in a junction box, notice the silicone to seal of the environment:
The junction box mounted to the bottom of the truck bed.
I followed the original cable harness and tugged the cables into the plastic protector as best as I could. I used some heat shielded tape in some areas to really keep them protected.
From there I made my way into the engine compartment. Going through the firewall is always a problem. I used the plastic cover where usually the clutch pedal goes out. I drilled a hole, used a rubber grommet and then used more of the heat shielded tape.
Ones inside I routed everything to the center console and added a main switch next to the steering wheel.
Overall this took me a full Sunday due to my efforts to get the cables protected as best as I could.
Starting from the back - here is the camera mounted to view - slightly tilted - towards the center and the hitch ball. There was no other place other than to drill through the licence plate (not allowed). So unless I get me one of the licence plate cameras it will stay here.
Here is the connector to the Camper. This is the same as described in one of the previous posts.
From there the camera and the connector terminate in a junction box, notice the silicone to seal of the environment:
The junction box mounted to the bottom of the truck bed.
I followed the original cable harness and tugged the cables into the plastic protector as best as I could. I used some heat shielded tape in some areas to really keep them protected.
From there I made my way into the engine compartment. Going through the firewall is always a problem. I used the plastic cover where usually the clutch pedal goes out. I drilled a hole, used a rubber grommet and then used more of the heat shielded tape.
Ones inside I routed everything to the center console and added a main switch next to the steering wheel.
Overall this took me a full Sunday due to my efforts to get the cables protected as best as I could.
Mega_Mod: Back Up Camera 1 & 2
After I lost my back up camera on the Excursion I really started missing this feature. I tried to install the 7" screen from the Excursion but I could not find a place for it. So I moved away from the Laptop setup from the Excursion and I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 5000 large screen GPS.
I decided for the Garmin 5000 because I like the features of Garmin GPS systems and this unit has a Video In.
So here is my set up:
As you can see I use the Garmin as a video display. It turns on automatically whenever video starts streaming (i.e. when I reverse). From there I connect to a video splitter/switch. This allows you to typically switch between three video sources to display on a TV. I tested the unit and it allows also to switch power at the same time the video is switched. So I really use it to switch power and video at the same time from the Camper Cam to the Truck Can or visa versa. It allows you to connect to a third video source as well. This is currently not used as I don't want to stream movies while driving. But maybe one day this is set up for the co-driver.
From there backwards I have a regular on/off switch which gets power from a toggle switch. The toggle gets either permanent power or power from the Reverse Light circuit.
I decided for the Garmin 5000 because I like the features of Garmin GPS systems and this unit has a Video In.
So here is my set up:
As you can see I use the Garmin as a video display. It turns on automatically whenever video starts streaming (i.e. when I reverse). From there I connect to a video splitter/switch. This allows you to typically switch between three video sources to display on a TV. I tested the unit and it allows also to switch power at the same time the video is switched. So I really use it to switch power and video at the same time from the Camper Cam to the Truck Can or visa versa. It allows you to connect to a third video source as well. This is currently not used as I don't want to stream movies while driving. But maybe one day this is set up for the co-driver.
From there backwards I have a regular on/off switch which gets power from a toggle switch. The toggle gets either permanent power or power from the Reverse Light circuit.
10/25/08
My EX is gone, here is my MEGA love....
Today I traded in my Excursion and got me a 2007 Dodge 2500 Megacab with a 6.7L Cummins diesel and 6 speed automatic. Sweet....
3/30/08
Camper Mod: Magnet Board
My wife likes to collect the fridge magemts from the parks we go to. Over time this is now some nice collection and does not fit on the range hood anymore. I bought a magnet board from IKEA for a few bucks and mounted it to the wall next to the entry door.
Camper Mod: New Matress
This is probably out best modification by a long shot. We ditched the old matress and got us an RV-Queen size from Bed-in-a-box.
Price OK, S&H free, quick delivery. We can recommend this company and have since then purchased another matress for our daughter.
Price OK, S&H free, quick delivery. We can recommend this company and have since then purchased another matress for our daughter.
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