Dash Mounted Tablet

[Ray!]

I used to use a RAM mount on a previous small notebook, attached to the windscreen via the RAM mount suction cup system, but it's simply not very good because the laptop sits too high and obscures visibility. I wanted something a lot better and which would sit low so that visibility was not obscured, yet gave good visibility to the screen. As it turned out, I found the near perfect solution. OK, this is partly DIY, because the main component has been purchased pre-made, but their is some modification required to suit the dash of the Patrol, which I have yet to fully design and make for the moment, to warrant a DIY moniker.

What I bought was a Kropsson HR-P850FTP tablet holder. It was a bit of a risk not knowing exactly how durable it would be, but for versatility over anything else I've seen, it couldn't be beaten. Anyway, when it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at how well constructed it turned out to be. Some parts appear as if they would not be strong enough, but I think overall it will easily stand up to holding just about any tablet and my tablet, being a Windows 7 platform, is heavier than most.

As I said, I haven't fully fitted it yet and that's because the dash of the Patrol is curved and won't accept the flat suction cup assembly, so I'm going to have to build a platform on the dash so that it has a strong, flat, surface to adhere to. Here are a few shots of the holder placed on the dash to give an idea of how it sits and will work. As you can see, it sits perfectly on the top of the dash and allows you to lower the tablet so that it will rest on the pen tray (I intend to place some foam in the pen tray to provide an absorbent buffer).

While the assembly that holds the tablet doesn't look substantial enough, I've had the holder face down and given it a solid shaking and the tablet has not budged, so I don't have any concerns regarding it coming adrift while off-road. When all the components are locked in, the unit becomes pretty sturdy overall. Visibility over the dash is unhindered and visibility of the screen is perfect.

Once I work out the ideal solution for the suction cup mount, I'll provide an update on how it all comes together and works in real life. My idea is to get a sheet of stainless steel and build a platform from the front of the dash to the bottom of the windscreen, so that it's removeable, but solid when attached.

Cheers

Ray

[SammiGQ]

Wow that looks really well done. I was thinking of getting a ram mount either for a tablet or for a small laptop but would rather make something myself so I can mount it wherever I think suitable and plus I know it won't break or be unstable. It's on the list for one day... But I'll stick with the old paper maps for now. Good effort put into this one though Ray I'm sure it will last for a while.

[dronus4x4]

Here is my mount for my Samsung galaxy 10.1

It seems to work well but I'm keen to do something similar to rays suggestion and have a stronger mount on the dash. Still working on that..

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[dronus4x4]

I actually have the mount upside down in those pics, the wider arms should be on the bottom.

It does stick to my bedside table, making reading the forum or watching a movie easy if I'm crashing out..

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Tonka]

Does the aircon affect it, looks like its blocking the vents right?

[Glort]

Could someone do a write up on all this mapping stuff?

I have looked at it and don't really understand it''s capeabilities or what you can do with it. It it free/ downloadable for free on the right sites?? what involved in making it work etc.

I have no trouble with building computers, setting up servers or 30 machine networks and wi-Fi image transfers straight out of my camera but things like phone apps and these car computers I just don't have any knowledge of.

[Ray!]

Does the aircon affect it, looks like its blocking the vents right?

It only partially blocks the vents and in fact the vents will help it to keep cool, being exposed somewhat to the sun.

Cheers

Ray

[Ray!]

Could someone do a write up on all this mapping stuff?

I have looked at it and don't really understand it''s capeabilities or what you can do with it. It it free/ downloadable for free on the right sites?? what involved in making it work etc.

I have no trouble with building computers, setting up servers or 30 machine networks and wi-Fi image transfers straight out of my camera but things like phone apps and these car computers I just don't have any knowledge of.

What sort of info are you after?

Cheers

Ray

[Tonka]

Easiest way would be a 3g tablet and mud maps app im guessing

[oncedisturbed]

This is mine with VMS, i have changed the back mounts over so it sits offset and lower than the dash, the main support arm is a twin modular set up. I am tossing up the idea of getting an extension arm to make it a bit more user friendly but it it is solid and wont move on me

[Nutta]

I'll try and get a pic of my setup, i bought an adapter off ebay and screwed the thing into the face plate to the left of the stereo, a bit close to the passengers right leg but not to bad, and a good position to see the screen,

Ray, maybe you could use sticky velcro to the dash and the plug, that would be pretty solid i would imagine.

[Tonka]

Problem with velcro is the sun heats the backing up and it starts to slip

[Tonka]

This is mine with VMS, i have changed the back mounts over so it sits offset and lower than the dash, the main support arm is a twin modular set up. I am tossing up the idea of getting an extension arm to make it a bit more user friendly but it it is solid and wont move on me

Where did u get that bracket?

[oncedisturbed]

Bought it from ram mount in the states

[Nutta]

I bought a cheapy tablet holder somewhere and just screwed it straight onto the faceplate beside the stereo, works okay and is low enough not to be obvious, it doesnt get in the way too much of the passenger either, i realise not everyone wants screw holes in their faceplates too.

[99disco]

I picked up an iPad today I'm messing around with it right now actually. I'll be mounting it on the dash directly above the cd player on the little shelf type thing in the guvi, will post pics once it's fitted.

Shane

[matthewperk]

So I finally finished adapting a tablet mount for the spare din slot.

I've got a Bluetooth head unit which can be controlled remotely through both my phone and the tablet at the same time, allowing me to make and recieve calls whilst also doing anything I want on the tablet i.e. Mapping and listening to music.

The easiest way to explain it is that I got a air vent mount that suited a tablet and removed the vent mount section and instead drilled it into a shaped piece of timber that slots snugly into the spare din slot I have after I removed the original radio.

It works really well, with very little movement, great line of sight, doesn't get in the way of the gear shift, I still have full control of the radio and the air vents aren't blocked. I've also wired behind dash a 12v adapter for the tablet so I have tablety goodness all day and night (which is brilliant when, when combined with the keyboard dock (which also has a battery in it) I get a total of 16 hours battery life) and I have a portable battery pack that I can charge it with giving me a total of about 4 days before I need to plug it into the car/mains again.

Anyways feel free to ask questions! It was a really easy mod that only required a saw and a drill!

[Tonka]

I bought a cheapy tablet holder somewhere and just screwed it straight onto the faceplate beside the stereo, works okay and is low enough not to be obvious, it doesnt get in the way too much of the passenger either, i realise not everyone wants screw holes in their faceplates too.

Nutta is that an elvis figurie on the dash if so i love it. I got 1 similiar,

[Tonka]

So I finally finished adapting a tablet mount for the spare din slot.

I've got a Bluetooth head unit which can be controlled remotely through both my phone and the tablet at the same time, allowing me to make and recieve calls whilst also doing anything I want on the tablet i.e. Mapping and listening to music.

The easiest way to explain it is that I got a air vent mount that suited a tablet and removed the vent mount section and instead drilled it into a shaped piece of timber that slots snugly into the spare din slot I have after I removed the original radio.

It works really well, with very little movement, great line of sight, doesn't get in the way of the gear shift, I still have full control of the radio and the air vents aren't blocked. I've also wired behind dash a 12v adapter for the tablet so I have tablety goodness all day and night (which is brilliant when, when combined with the keyboard dock (which also has a battery in it) I get a total of 16 hours battery life) and I have a portable battery pack that I can charge it with giving me a total of about 4 days before I need to plug it into the car/mains again.

Anyways feel free to ask questions! It was a really easy mod that only required a saw and a drill!

Nice job. No good for us blokes with double din stereos though,but urs looks very cool.

[Nutta]

Nutta is that an elvis figurie on the dash if so i love it. I got 1 similiar,

Quote

Yes Tonka, it is elvis, he's been dancing around there for about nine years now!

[Ray!]

Finally, I found a way to easily mount the tablet on the dash while 4WDriving. It turned out a lot simpler than I had anticipated, considering that I'd been mulling this for over six months now; funny how ideas come to you when you can't sleep. Anyway, the first thing I needed was a bit of metal plate, which I got from Mitre 10 and is basically a piece of flat used to join wood framework (75mm x 250mm) and which I panel beat to fit the front edge of dash:

I then worked out the best position for the stainless disk used by the mount (fit and fiddle with the mount until all was good), and then attached it the to the support plate (support) by removing the adhesive protector:

I then attached a flat bar at the windscreen end of the support (this is what will be used to hold the support in position):

Then came some painting:

Addition of protective material to the underside:

And the unit was complete:

Positioned on the dash without the final attachments and second protective material:

The entire assembly is going to be held in place with a couple of zip ties. The flat bar at the end will be the support for the zip ties that will be threaded through the vent braces and tightened; the support bracket will not move when the zip ties are in place. To add extra security to the mount itself, as I don't entirely trust suction cups, I plan to use two more zip ties that will go around the suction cup mount to the flat bar. Should the suction cup come undone for some reason, the mount and tablet will not move.

I also intend to place some foam in the pen holder, so that the tablet does not rub on the upper part of the dash. I'll add some final photos later, as it's now getting dark and I prefer to work when it's easy to see what you're doing.

The way this works is that I can leave the support bracket on permanently, and I'll see whether I like that; or attach the mount permanently to the support bracket and then just attach the lot to the dash when the need arises. The latter may be the better option, as it'll probably be easier to attach the zip ties to the vent when needed and the support bracket then won't cause any blemishes to the dash if permanently mounted. And another point about this mount, if I need access to the little enclosure, all I have to do is press a button on the top of the mount, pull the arm out and swing it up, and I can open the door to the enclosure.

This mount design will suit any tablet up to 10" size.

Cheers

Ray

Edited June 15, 2012 by Ray!

[Ray!]

Everything is now together and I decided to make the mount a permanent fixture on the support, and just use zip ties on the vent when I need to use the unit. This is what it now looks like when set up on the dash:

The white bits you see on the bottom of the tablet are just two bits of foam to stop the tablet rubbing on the console. I'm going to see if I can find something that will sit inside the pen holder and lift the mount bracket up a tad, so that I don't need to use the foam, which I can guarantee will collect dust on a trip and rub the console. My Nokia Bluetooth GPS unit sits perfectly at the back of the support and is held in place by the zip ties used to provide additional support for the mount.

A small update. I didn't like the zip ties on the forward part of the mount (they just looked ugly), so took I them off, and the suction cup seems to be holding on like grim death; so I'll see how things go. I also have a very strong velco strap holding the mount to the support near the tablet end, so there's still a backup in case the suction cup lets go. I also added my Nokia Bluetooth GPS to the front of the mount (held on by double sided tape) which I'll most likely use as the GPS for navigation, until I work out why I'm having trouble with my Garmin GPS. While the Nokia works off battery power, which should last up to eight hours of use, I'll be powering it off one of the USB ports on the tablet, so it won't run out of power (I'll just have to remember to turn it off at night). This is what the mount looks like after the latest modifications (I sorted out the Garmin issue and have replaced the Nokia Bluetooth GPS with the Garmin USB GPS):

Cheers

Ray

Edited June 16, 2012 by Ray!

[The Big Rig]

Came up sweet ray!

[BigGQWesty]

Top work Ray..

I have just one question.. Do you have a job?? You always seem to be fiddling with stuff..

I'm jealous...

[Ray!]

Top work Ray..

I have just one question.. Do you have a job?? You always seem to be fiddling with stuff..

I'm jealous...

I took early retirement last year, so I have a bit of free time on my hands at the moment. I want to start looking for some work but, around here, finding hen's teeth is easier than finding work.

Cheers

Ray