1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

My Garmin GPS mount

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

  1. chakrax

    chakrax Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2010
    24
    8
    1
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    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

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    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

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    10,895
    4,418
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    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

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2009
    38
    3
    0
    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    How do you unlock the wheel?
     
  5. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    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

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2009
    1,821
    255
    0
    Location:
    Cleveland, OH
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    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

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2010
    24
    8
    1
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    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

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2009
    1,821
    255
    0
    Location:
    Cleveland, OH
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    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

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2012
    165
    38
    0
    Location:
    Morgan Hill, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    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

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2013
    162
    29
    0
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Brilliant!!! Best mount location so far! Thank you so much for posting the pics.
     
  11. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2012
    1,607
    877
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    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

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2013
    1,313
    888
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    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

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2006
    1,049
    192
    0
    Location:
    NH
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    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

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2013
    1,313
    888
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    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

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2012
    1,607
    877
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    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

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2006
    804
    114
    0
    Location:
    Pennsylvania USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Beanbag mount works perfectly for me.
     
  17. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2010
    751
    219
    0
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
  18. Mary Lou Barnett

    Mary Lou Barnett New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2020
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    65037
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius
    Model:
    LE
     
  19. Mary Lou Barnett

    Mary Lou Barnett New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2020
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    65037
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    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

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    He hasn't been on here in almost two years.