I have been through all the possibilities for a Garmin GPS mount for my MINI, but it just seems they are all too complicated. The Cravenswood and the Kuda mount are very expensive. And both involve leaving an exposed ball mount visible to thieves who I know are gonna smash my window whether or not I take the GPS with me.

I am now toying with the idea of trying the Garmin Friction Mount and see how it goes. It's essentially a weighted bean bag with the Garmin mount that sits on the dash. On the up side, I can just pull the whole thing down off the dash when parked and nothing is visible. And the cost is minimal....$27.00 on Amazon.

- Has anyone used one of these in a MINI?
- Is there a place for it on the MINI dash?
- Does it stay in place?

Thanks, all
Rich

 

I haven't used a friction mount with the Mini yet, but just to give you other options, Arkon makes them as well.

http://www.arkon.com/weighted_friction_dash_mount.php

Arkon supplies many of the OEM mounts that come with the devices. I've got a few of there mounts and they are very high quality.

 

Thanks for the tip. I had not run across this manufacturer. It looks like it may be a better design than the Garmin, too.

 

Used in a MINI - no, but used in a number of vehicles with a Garmin 276C (read big, heavy) Works well.
a place for it on the MINI dash - can't answer.
Does it stay in place? - Not if you are violently throwing the car around, but well enough for freeway/city driving.

 

After going through the trials and tribulations of other mounts for my Garmin, I went to the friction mount and could not be happier. I can move it from my mini to my wifes or to our other vehicle with no problem. I have used it on many runs plus I used it from Washington to AMVIV in Las Vegas and it never once shifted even under some spirited driving. It may not be the best looking mount but the other factor is that I can pick it up and put it in my boot with little effort when I need to park in a location that I don't want others to know I have a GPS. It works great for me.

 

We bought the bean bag mount and use it in the wife's Audi - works a treat!

I don't know if it would stay in place in the MINI under spirited driving, but it works great for a more "normal" pace.

I use the suction cup in the left corner of my windshield. It falls off once in a while, but I like that location compared to how some people put it on their speedo or down on their console. A Kuda permanent mount would probably be better, but I haven't gone that route.......

The one we bought has 4 "legs. I've seen them with 3, but those don't stay in place as well as the one we have.

 

Thanks to Minidrivr for the Arkon link. They have some pretty unique products.

I ordered their Deluxe Friction Dash Mount. It has a smaller footprint than the Garmin and it comes with an additional suction cup attachment for the Nuvi. What I also like is it has a "hook" setup which can be attached to the dash if it does move around. I was able to find the deluxe model for a total of $29.99 including taxes and shipping from Semsons.com.

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

I can tell you from personal experience that the Garmin beanbag mount does not work very well for a MINI, unless you don't drive it on twisties at all. The Kuda mount works very well. My new Garmin 780 cost $500, the Kuda mount cost $56.10. I don't think that is too bad to solve a difficult mounting issue, although I am sure you could find something for less money.

But I really don't understand the comment that your car would still get broken into if the Kuda mount was there and you took the Garmin. So they would steal the Kuda mount?? Or go through your car looking for where you hid the Garmin??? Don't leave a quarter showing in the coin cup.

 

Hi CFMINI.
I think the price you quote for the KUDA mount is the base unit only. The ball part to attach the Nuvi is an additional $29.50 (and looks like it costs 10 cents to make). So the complete unit is over $86.00 plus S&H. But the KUDA is nice.

My point about the exposed ball mount is that if these crooks are smart enough to look for suction marks on the windshields (as has been widely reported), I am sure they are learning what that ball attachment is for. It duplicates an empty suction mount and is a tip-off that there may be a GPS unit in the car. Since they obviously have no compunction against smashing a window for one, I thought it best to remove the temptation if possible.

Rich

 

Any type of permanent mount is a tip-off for theives. We had some going on in my neighborhood. They were using flashlights during the early morning to find things like cell phones and gps in parked cars. A theif looking for a GPS knows what the mount looks like. Any empty cradle is a tip-off. Even if the device isn't in there, they won't know that until they've broken in. One of the reasons I spent the extra to get the built in nav.

 

I have found that the simplest and most cost-effective solution for mounting a GPS on the R56 dash is to affix a suction-cup mount on the NE corner of the speedo, in the 90-120 MPH sector. Easy to see, easy to input, quick to remove or transfer to another vehicle. Works great. After parking, within seconds the car can appear as if no GPS were ever mounted in it. The no-cost, high-utility option.

 

I use the Garmin beanbag with the 2610 (heavy model) and it stays pretty well on the left up against the windshield. Remove the unit from the bag and it all fits in the glove compartment.

 

I have never had it slide or fall off. I keep just to the right of the driver side tweeter.

 

I originally got the Garmin friction mount for my VW New Beetle, since the windshield on that is about 10 feet from the driver. I've never had a problem with it sliding off the dash in either that car or in our new Clubman. I like that it's easy to set up when we need it and easy to hide when we get out of the car. We're using it with a Garmin Nuvi 370. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone.

 

I bought the Deluxe Arkon Friction Mount instead of the Garmin Friction Mount because it had a smaller footprint.

I got my MINI yesterday and have been running all over the place with the NUVI on the Arkon. I fits great up in the left corner of the dash and stays in place no matter what. This mount is great because I can just pull it down, store it, and no one knows I have a GPS in the car. Here's some pics of it in place.

 

Here's another alternative. Try www.proclipusa.com. Puts the screen where the navigator can play with it and when you hide the GPS, it's not so obvious as a mount that sits on the dash.

 

I looked at these too. I like it since its easier to install than the kudo mount, but it still has the ball exposed when the GPS is removed. I really think that the theives who steal these look for that ball to let them know a gps may be in the car.

I have been using the ARKON weighted mount for about a week and it fits real nice up in the left corner of the dash. Solid as a rock, too. When I get out of the car, I pull the whole thing down and put it behind the front seat with a black towel over it. No see, No temptation. But to each his own!

 

I use the Garmin friction mount in my R56 and believe it to be a great solution for the amount I need the navigation device. I move it to other cars and since I don't need it every day it's ideal. If I needed it every day, a permanent installation would appeal to me more to address hard wired power and perhaps a location in a semi-hidden place. Never moves, jiggles, etc. Great product and price for those who don't use nav every day.

 

I finally figured out how to resize a photo with my camera, so here's a picture of the Proclip in my R56. Easy to install. The mount on the tach wouldn't work for me because of the guages.

 

That looks great. I went ahead and ordered the same mount for my Mini as well. Thanks for posting the review and the pics.

 

Looks like a great solution for those of us who need simplicity - many thanks!

Rich, which Garmin is that, if I may ask?** I see it's in your signature.

 

I used the beanbag friction mount with my older Garmin 2760 and it actually worked OK unless you were showing off on corners.

I now use a Garmin Nuvi with the suction cup mount on the speedometer face, and it works GREAT! Certainly more secure than the bean bag mount. I mount the Nuvi when I actually use it (not just to watch the moving map display) and remove and store eveything in the secret compartment when not in use. I'm paranoid about bad guys breaking in and if you have a permanent mount showing, even if you remove the GPS itself....it tells the bad guys you HAVE a GPS and you're a target even if you take the GPS with you.

 

Yours fits in the secret compartment? I have the Akron mount and it's too big... I think. Haven't actually tried it because it just plain old looked to big to even attempt it. Do you have the Garmin or the Akron friction mount?

 

yes, it fits......have to detach the GPS from the suction cup mount, but the GPS, mount, and cable do fit in the secret compartment.