SatNav Bean Bag Dashboard Mount for free

So... my SatNav is a rather venerable TomTom One.  I've had it so long because it "does the job it says on the tin".  It must have paid for itself many times over in petrol savings.  The one thing I do not like about it however is the terrible window suction cup, which, no matter how much spittle and slobber one applies, likes to celebrate life by dropping off on unfamilar five lane, close your eyes and pray, roundabouts.

I bought a bracket on ebay which clips into car vent slots - fits most types of car it said - but not my car, a clapped out Vaxhaul Astra.  So then I discovered that they do "Bean Bag Dashboard Mounts".  It's a bean bag, with a bit of plastic attached, and they want... 25 quid for it.  HOW MUCH?  I'm not paying that!  (Well belatedly I discover that there are unbranded copies available for half that.  Too late now..)

So I made one for free.  Yes, genuinely, all parts and materials were things I had around the house.

I used:  The original suction cup and connector, an old Wallace and Gromit sock (any old sock would have done, but Wallace and Gromit seemed appropriate for an Instructable); duct tape (some chaps who did a fencing job for me left it behind, they charged me a king's ransom, so I did not feel too guilty about the gain); a piece of hardboard (the white kite shape on it in the image is the legacy of a previous use, and before that it was probably a picture frame backing); wood glue (strong PVA); a piece of non-slip matting (it was left over from a length I bought to sit under a scroll saw); a handful of gravel (from the greenhouse for top dressing potted plants); a piece of plastic coated garden wire.

Step 1:

I started by making a base.  It had to be as large as possible for stability, but then no bigger than what would fit on the dashboard of my car, which though level, has dipped pockets in it, and no bigger than what would fit into a sock - and it was a really old thin threadbare sock.  I tried a drinks coaster intitially, but it looked like it was going to rip the sock, so I cut a piece of thin hardboard to a slightly smaller square.  I popped off the corners to get it into the sock without snagging.

Comments

[flashj]

I was all set to drill and cut my phone mount so it would fit on my sat-nav mount when I found your instruct-able. It worked great and the only change I made was using an old CD (remember CDs?) instead of the cardboard. Excellent idea and a time saver. My wife is knitting a cozy to go over the sock and exposed duct tape!
cheers!

[nwlaurie]

Damn clever - well done!

[Katie5757]

So what happens when you brake heavily? Does your SatNav keep travelling?
I am reminded of this when travelling to family with a bowl of trifle in a plastic bag on the back seat of the car.. I stopped, and transferred it to a more secure position, wedged in to the contents of my boot (trunk).
Custard all over the back seat, not a good idea.. However, loose objects on your dashboard are not a good idea.

[Periwinkle1]

Yes, thanks, that is indeed a potential problem. I had considered it, but don't yet have a full solution. My old banger doesn't actually go very fast, and neither can it brake very heavily (!) but I suppose hitting something would do the trick. I'll probably have the lead of the SatNav, which in my case is more than long enough, looped once round the gearstick, but a tether would be better. It is pretty stable though. I'll have to go out and road test it by doing some really good "emergency stops" to see if it shifts. If it flies out through the back window I'll let you know here.

[criggie]

http://m2.dealextreme.com/upload/reviewpicture/201212/29fc2191-f8f0-4d99-b2ae-d6d44f33aea2.jpg

I made a new panel for my car, which holds a cheap stereo and screen. A bit brutal, but it can't fall off.

[Sabata]

Very nice. I'm too cheap to pay for a beanbag from Amazon or eBay so I just might try to make something similar to yours.

[Spokehedz]

Brilliant. Love the re-use of materials and just making it work rather than buying new stuff.

[f5mando]

Nice one, lad! I have the same SatNav as you, but sprung for their later windshield suction mount, which works well. Had I not - I would be going through my sock drawer this morning!

[mudfish]

Perhaps the next sock project will preserve the ankle image on the other sock! Great fun project, gotta give it a try. Something to do with those socks that somehow have been a abandoned by their mate.

[don34685]

Great idea! My truck just inherited an older Garmin from my wife's car but without the beanbag mount. You have inspired me. Thanks!

[profpat]

yes! very nice, been looking around a good mount for my car tv monitor, i do not want to drill holes or use glue on my dashboard top, i believe your bean bag style will do the job! thanks for sharing!