Ram

[clivehorridge]

Over recent years I've convinced myself that I want to use my iPad for navigational purposes and for generally knowing where I am using its GPS facilities and mapping apps and so forth.

This may be misguided, but to date using "CoPilot", navigation of the streets in towns and cities and generally across country has, with first-hand experience, been successful with this software in the UK, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, Qatar and Oman.

I also find Google maps useful especially when offroad, with the only draw-back being intermittent satellite real-time access/coverage, especially in the forests and other places where reliable triangulation from 3 satellites is limited.

There's the intro out of the way.

Now to mounting an iPad inside my truck. I started with a 10 bob device found in a fuel station which was crap. then I graduated to a Chinese thingy that I found in a very helpful accessories shop in Brum, well at least it fitted the iPad (until it broke) but mounting "it" to the truck has always been a problem. I had a screen sucker pad and a variety of bits of bent coat-hanger and all number of bodge-ups, all equally unsatisfactory.

Then, from posts on this forum, I discovered RAM, and....

Look what the postie delivered this morning...







Despite it being expensive, then paying shipment from Seattle USA, then paying import duty when it arrived here in Romania , it is a wonderful product. Price? Please don't ask, just look it up on their website.

You order by part no. exactly what you want, they have pictures of the different part options and dimensions and prices, and it really is good stuff.

For my old iPad 2, I've gone for the 1" ball system, and as I haven't fitted it yet I don't know if it's secure enough.

But from sitting at my desk for the last 20 minutes playing with my new toys, it seems very secure and tough looking stuff. Time will tell.

I ordered it blind, not really knowing what I needed for it to be successful in my 80, but we'll see when I try to mount it over the next days.

I'll post my experiences here. Exciting though, as usual with new toys

PS The price is a secret... and it's all in the name of safety equipment, honest....

 

[Paddler Ed]

I've got a Arkon mount, the poor mans version of the RAM mounts. It does the job of holding my 7" Nexus tablet, and either one of our phones... it also holds the take away bag pretty well as it mounts of the seat mounting bolt....

 

[Chas]

I've got a Ram mount bolted to the floor of my 80 and it takes the weight of my Panasonic Toughbook with ease and it's an old comp and is bloody heavy.
Ram mounts are the dogs.
I might invest in one like yours Clive for my Samsung Tablet though.

 

[moggy1968]

The only thing I found using the ram mount for my tablet was it paid to have the bottom of the mount resting on something, like the dash top, to stop it vibrating. thats with a 10 inch tablet though. IN retrospect I would use and IPAD mini or 7 inch tablet. I got a 10 because I thought I would use it for other stuff, but frankly it's so shite all I use it for is satnav, and actually, I use my iphone for that in the UK!

I went for an android tablet so I had access to more third party software but, at over 300 notes, it's been a huge disappointment TBH.

 

[Mblinko]

I've got a RAM for my Garmin GPSMAP, great bit of kit. I also have a a Brodit for the iPad, which is equally as good. Good thing about these is they have bespoke dash mounts which fit each car and a generic iPad mount which clips to that. All very factory look, but you have to have it where they are designed it to go.

 

[Gary820]

Similar to the mount I use for the 10 inch Samsung tablet. Have mine mounted to the centre console tho and the normal nav on the screen. (Would add a pic if stupid photobucket would work)
A good mount really makes a difference imo, screen not jumping all over and not worrying about your device falling off.

 

[clivehorridge]

Well it's good news that those with RAM mounts aren't saying what rubbish they are!

Tonight I mounted the sucker on the screen, and with the arm resting on the top of the dash (with a sticky lizard pad to stop it chaffing the dash trim) the iPad cradle is at just the right height to see it and not lose any vision through the windscreen. Result

There is slight vibration and as Moggy said I think I'll make a "leg" to go from the back of the cradle (there's plenty of screw hole combinations to choose from) down to the little horizontal ledge on the front of the dash panel, with a rubber foot on it, just to take out the chance for oscillations. It really is no more than 1 or 2 mm, but offroad that may get bigger.




From the the left side



From rom the right side (complete with finger half over the lens )



From the top


The iPad is the larger one (?) 10"? I chose that because the old eyes aren't quite what they used to be and for close range I need glasses. So when driving, the bigger screen is very much an advantage. I have the same Sat Nag App on the iPhone, but often it's a bit small for me to focus on.

Well pleased with, job done.

 

[adrianr]

Nicely done

 

[wobbly]

I fitted a tablet mount to the landcruiser, in all honesty used it very little, but it looks good.....

Am going to buy some extra bits to turn it in to a phone mount for the hilux, thata the good thing about ram kit, interchangeability.

 

[AndyCook]

I use a 7" android tablet with oziexplorer app on a ram mount, extensively on trips as main navigation device off the paved roads, and as backup have iPad mini with HD gps motion x app.
I prefer the android tablet and ozi because I can usually source decent maps like UK OS maps and France IGN digitally which are much better maps than the open source maps I get on the iPad.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[clivehorridge]

You may be right there Andy.

So far, I'm relying on satellite mapping on cart and horse tracks which are not generally mapped at all.

 

[AndyCook]

I have got old Russian maps for Romania in digital oziexplorer too, for when I travel there one day. But they are scans of individual map sheets so have all the guff round sides of maps, so not so good for seamless mapping.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[SpinDrift]

I used ozi explorer with the osm maps in romania on a pc. Worked fine and most of where i went was on the maps.

 

[SpinDrift]

I think the russian maps are ok in the desert or uninhabited area but once you get into the ever sprawling urban they will show their age

 

[isle of man]

iGo has good cover for Romania.

 

[clivehorridge]

Interesting guys, maybe I can get my hands on them too, I'll have a go...

Cheers

 

[guari]

RAM makes the best mounts, hand down.

Enjoy your LC

 

[clivehorridge]

RAM makes the best mounts, hand down. Enjoy your LC

Agreed, well the best I've seen and tried. Took it over the mountains last week end, the iPad was rock steady without any mods.

I do enjoy the LC, and will continue to do so, thanks Guari!

By the way where are you, it's a good idea to put your location details in your profile.

 

[guari]

Agreed, well the best I've seen and tried. Took it over the mountains last week end, the iPad was rock steady without any mods.

I do enjoy the LC, and will continue to do so, thanks Guari!

By the way where are you, it's a good idea to put your location details in your profile.

I rarely post here that's why my details are likely missing!

I've been a landcruiser guy since birth in Venezuela but I've moved to Scotland. First ever time I don't have a Toyota [emoji1]. Me and my wife bought a Seat Leon which does the trick in the city but that's about it.

I used to overland a lot to the southern parts of Venezuela, the tropical jungle next to Brazil in Roraima.

 

[guari]

So forgot to say, i come to this forum to feast and remember my 80 series, beautiful cars!!

Enjoy in good health!