GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Just wondering if someone has come up with a unique way of mounting their GPS unit besides using a windshield suction cup mount?On a side note, I feel I haven't really thanked Genvibe members who have helped me with previous posts--sorry about that--but I really do appreciate how helpful everyone is on Genvibe!!! I also need to update my posts with pics of leds in the cupholders, how I mounted my cb, etc...

I use a seat mounted GPS rack like this:I bought it from MF X2 on ebay:http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R4...oriesVery fast shipping from this guy.Pros:- Very easy and secure install- Hidden GPS mount, less tempting for thieves- Easy to manage GPS (in my case, it's my MP3 jukebox)- No hanging wiresCons:- Can't move the seat all the way to the front, at first I installed it in my passenger seat then on driver side which I don't move at all.- Not in the line of sight while driving, always have to look down a bit while you're driving- It's shaking a bit while driving on bumpy roads which in kind of normal over a 2-feet pole.In my case, I got used to listen to the directions instead of looking at the GPS

i just picked up a garmin gps and mounted the bracket by the light sensor. The battery holds a pretty good charge so I haven't rigged up the power cord under the dash.Downloaded a Mario Kart icon for the unit last night

Thanks for the heads up on the Mario Kart icon... That is the coolest thing I've ever seen.

Quote, originally posted by BadBrew »Hidden GPS mount, less tempting for thievesThat's a primary reason I want to mount it somewhere else then the windshield. What's the switch (with the LED light) for next to the back-window release button on your vibe?

I have mine on a dash mount. It works really well. It's not too big or obtrusive, and best of all, I can take the top part off and put it and the Garmin away in the glove box so it's not so obvious to prying eyes. I was worried about sticking it on the dash of a new car, but it comes off really easy if and when you want too, and doesn't leave anything behind (found this out when taking it off of my old car). It puts it in the perfect spot too. I got it on newegg, it's $30 now, but I got it on sale for $20. You could probably find it cheaper elsewhere.http://www.newegg.com/Product/...oduct Sorry, but I don't have one with the GPS on it, but I'm sure you get the idea!

I mount the gps in the middle/usual place. Suction cup on the windshield, it only goes there when I'm using the gps otherwise the suction cup is in the glove box, and the gps inside the apt.I use the 120V socket and a usb adapter to plug it in (as the splitter I use on the 12V socket has the radar detector and satelite radio).

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Hmmm... I think this is a possibility.By the way... your car looks so clean!

I like to use the suction cup mount and put them near the bottom left corner of the windshield.

Ahh... someone that uses the 120 V plug--cool! So far I've only used it for Christmas lights.

I used the 120v plug for a soldering gun once. Christmas lights is GENIUS though.... I think I'll do that this year lol.

Quote, originally posted by epcIII »Ahh... someone that uses the 120 V plug--cool! So far I've only used it for Christmas lights.Hijacked know but we use the 120v outlet for our cell phone chargers. You don't have to purchase a car unit and when you get to a hotel, just unplug the one from the car and charge your phone overnight.Why the need for a charge while driving? It's an iPhone thus it is used so much that it at times needs a recharge on a trip. My other phone, not so user friendly, not so easy to use for anything but a phone call, sits unused while we use the apple to surf the web and others items as well as the built in GPS.....such as it is.Personally I don't like GPS, I see the need at times for one but overall I still prefer the joy of the paper map. I actually LIKE getting lost at times while on a trip. You find all sorts of wonderful places and things that you'd have passed right on by if you knew where you were all the time. Most roads lead somewhere, relax, enjoy the adventure. (not always true in the West, I've followed many a logging road up into the Siskiyou's or Cascades that ended up simply nowhere.)Dave

Quote, originally posted by epcIII »Hmmm... I think this is a possibility.By the way... your car looks so clean! Yeah, it works pretty well and holds the Garmin very securely. I've never worried about it falling off or moving around. It's also really easy to put on and take off. It's better then the windshield mount, and those friction mount beanbag things. Whenever you hit a bump they go flying in the air (from what I hear)! Thanks! I knew with Black I'd have to bust my (removed) to keep it clean, but when it is clean it looks sooooo good IMO. Thankfully it's new, so I just have to keep up on it!

Alternative Option:http://unlimitedcellular.com/p....aspxO ... lipusa.com

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »Alternative Option:http://www.proclipusa.comThanks--that proclip site has a cool one.

Quote, originally posted by djkeev »I still prefer the joy of the paper map. I actually LIKE getting lost at times while on a tripDaveThat reminds me of a They Might Be Giants song called "The Got Lost" and they sing about following the map which turns out to be an old wrapper (they look for the 'crinkle' on the left...) and... it's funny, you should listen to it.

I prefer in-dash units.But, when I had my TomTom portable, I hated the look of the suction cup on the windshield. No matter what you do it attracts thieves.One: You take the GPS unit with you when you get out of car.Thief sees the suction mount, breaks into car thinking that the GPS unit is in glove compartment.Two: For extra security you take the GPS unit AND the suction mount off the windshield. Thief sees the 'ring' on the windshield left by the suction device and still breaks in thinking BOTH units are in the glove compartment.Heres a photo of what I did when I had my Corolla:I used Velcro to mount the TomTom (fuzzy on the dash, hooky on the GPS unit)The black velcro is strong enough to hold the weight of even a large portable GPS units.Find a good spot on the dash of the Vibe and mount the fuzzy soft side, then put the nubbly hook side on the back of the GPS.Hint: Round the edges of the Velcro to match the rounded theme of the dash itself, looks better than a rectangle on the dash.

Wow, nothin' on TV tonight so I thought I would try this on The Vibe:Mount Velcro (Round the edges as on the Corolla above)Mount the GPS: You won't have access to the Rear Defrost or Emergency Flashers, but so what! Easy accesss if you really need it.Viola!Give this a try, I have been happy with the results.Remember to use the 'Heavy Duty' black Velcro.

Hey that's pretty cool. Does your car already have nav?

Oh yeah, it's the best way to have a Nav system in your car.Try that Velcro system and see if it works for you.

MSAGRO--that is sweet looking. The velco seems like a good, easy solution too. I agree, everything about the suction cup says "Hey, break in my car!" I do like that the compartment under the shifter is hard to see though--that's where I like to put my GPS when in a store.So, do you use 2 gps systems (your TomTom and built-in)?

Q: How do I mount my GPS unit?A1: My copilot holds the MacBook while I drive. A2:If the front-seat co-pilot falls asleep, the back-seat driver takes over.And, yeah, I use the 110V for the Apple Magsafe power supply on long trips. For front-seat use, I use one of those 3-prong to 2-prong power adapers to get the right spacing so the transformer (with fold-down prongs installed) will fit into the 110. For rear-seat use, the Apple extension cord gets the transformer off the dash and into the back seat. Sudden thought: Why doesn't Apple have a 12v MagSafe power supply for vehicles?I'm using DeLorme Street Atlas 2009* for Windows (running under XP/Parallels or XP/BootCamp) with the wired LT-40 sensor. Now DeLorme has a BT-20 (bluetooth) bundle that I'm considering. But I don't really use GPS enough to justify another $100, when what I have already works reliably.*DeLorme just introduced Street Atlas 2010, and is offering software upgrades at a reduced price.

Quote, originally posted by epcIII »MSAGRO--that is sweet looking. The velco seems like a good, easy solution too.I'm going to set this up tonight -- how is easy it to remove the velco from the dash?

LOL epic, using 2 GPS units would be psychotic.I did use both once. Hilarious results.Voice commands, One male voice, one woman's voice.She: "Turn left in quarter mile'He: "Turn left in 1000 feet"

With other commands, some contradicting themselves, it was like they were a couple outdoing and arguing between themselves in a passive-aggressive manner.I may youtube it one of these days. It's quite funny.

Bull, Oh yeah easy to take off even after a year. Just slowly peel off.If residue, Goo-gone gets the rest.

Well I thought about the velcro idea but I also liked the one that ajb812 is using so I decided to make one like that out of an old phone belt clip that I had. I cut off the ball joint from the suction cup and screwed it onto this part of the belt clip: I put felt under it so it's a snug fit but still movable.And the other part I screwed (ouch--no going back now!!!) onto the dash: I'm going to spray paint that part silver so it blends in better. Overall I'm pleased with the way it turned out and can't wait to try it out tomorrow. Under $10 too. Sorry the pics weren't the best...

Good luck on that set up epc III, get some day time shots of the finished product once painted.

Not sure the reason you would mount the gps down low off the seat bracket? seems a lil dangerous having to look down all the time!

I had it mounted to my windshield, but now I have one of those bean bag nav mats. It works really good you can move it were you want. No messing with anything on the car.

I painted the dash mount silver but I think it's too reflective and might just make it black again, or find a flat silver. Thanks everyone for your ideas!

Mount looks good. Congrats.

That mount looks good epcIII! Nice Job! There are some other awesome suggestions here, but I like this idea best myself. It gets rid of the hassle of the windshield mount, but you can still access everything on the dash. Hope it's working well for you!

epcIII, just downloaded Homer Simpsons voice at TomTom Home site.Very funny.Says things like "Turn left, then right... maybe there's an icecream truck around the corner.... Mmmmmm Icecream"Plus other funny sayings besides the directions. $12 download. Worth it.

Quote, originally posted by epcIII »Well I thought about the velcro idea but I also liked the one that ajb812 is using so I decided to make one like that out of an old phone belt clip that I had. I'm going to spray paint that part silver so it blends in better. Overall I'm pleased with the way it turned out and can't wait to try it out tomorrow. Under $10 too. Sorry the pics weren't the best...I don't have a GPS, I don't WANT a GPS, BUT if I did, this idea right here is the winner in my book (except for the screw)Dave

Garmin 010-11280-00 Portable Friction Mount - Compatible For Nuvi And ZumoI think this is a recent product but I really like the friciton mount I got off TigerDirect when I got my Garmin. I didn't really dig how the bean bag ones looked but wanted a friction mount. This was in the recommended products when I got my Garmin Nuvi 780. I really like how it looks and it doesnt slip at all. The bottom has some kind of stick but not adheasive stuff on it and the black rubber pad is actually kind of flexable so you can shape it to the dash. I've been really pleased with both the garmin and the mount. The garmin has an mp3 player and I bought a 16gb SD card for it, so the garmins now my mp3 player too. Its a great mount and looks good and all you have to do to un install it is pick it up. Anyway, enough jabbin heres the pics.

Quote, originally posted by kostby »Q: How do I mount my GPS unit?A1: My copilot holds the MacBook while I drive. I'm using DeLorme Street Atlas 2009* for Windows (running under XP/Parallels or XP/BootCamp) with the wired LT-40 sensor. Now DeLorme has a BT-20 (bluetooth) bundle that I'm considering. But I don't really use GPS enough to justify another $100, when what I have already works reliably.*DeLorme just introduced Street Atlas 2010, and is offering software upgrades at a reduced price.Kostby, Thanks, That is a great idea for the laptop. I just looked and ebay is selling DeLorme Street Atlas 2010 for less than $40.00 plus shipping which is cheaper than a gps unit.