Ok, I’ll start by saying I’m going to nerd out a bit here. Certain things I’m particular about and I’m sharing what I’ve learned.
Like many others before me I used Google Maps on my phone for navigation while traveling. For the most part its adequate and I like that I’ve been able to save locations on my desktop and access them on my phone. I also like that it has arguably the best traffic data out there and it lets me know right away when there’s a problem. However the pros are not outweighed by the cons: It is not actually a GPS and still requires data. It re-routes on a whim to save me 3 minutes (in its defense, it does ask if I want to make the change, but I don’t stare at my phone while driving so I always miss the prompt). Adding stops (fuel, rest stops, etc.) along the way is clunky and requires my co-pilot… who hates google maps.
As a result, I have wanted to switch to a real GPS for quite some time. A sale from TechnoRV popped up for refurbished models that I thought was a great deal so I had a Garmin RV 890 in my hand a few days later. My first impressions of it are that its a great size (large enough to interpret at a glance from arms length away, not too big to block visibility etc.), its easy to navigate the screens (not quite as sleek/sexy as some navigation apps out there… but I think that comes at a cost with something as robust as this), and its underway navigation and features are on point. There are lots of reviews out there on this model… this is not intended to be one.
Here’s where the nerdy part starts: I generally hate sticking things to my windshield which is designed for looking thru. I already have a tire pressure monitoring system there and once I applied the GPS as low as possible as to keep it out of line of site I was not happy with the dashboard arrangement. I began the hunt for a mount but being as this device is not small, it needed to be a sturdy one. Amazon mostly had junk that glued or suctioned to the dash but appeared to lack the necessary structure to hold the GPS which is composed of a mid-sized Android tablet plus its charging base. I finally found ProClip which made model specific mounts that would mechanically hold the device… Expensive but great! I’m really confident in how the mount fits in the truck.
Here’s where my plan went downhill. The charging base that comes with the Garmin has a female ball socket on the back to mate with the male suction cup mount but the kit also included a male screw in style mall mount. Awesome. I (incorrectly) assumed that it was intended to screw down to a surface (dashboard if you don’t mind drilling holes there) and then the charging base would pop right on. NOPE! The intent with that ball mount is to swap with the female socket on the charging base and use with another system. The ball simply doesn’t fit into the socket. WTF!?
Ok… Back to Amazon I go. I’m sure to find a male that will fit that. I found a ball mount that says its industry standard and fits Garmin GPS units. Great! Cheap! Ordered. Two days later… WRONG! WTF!? Too small. Apparently Garmin wanted something sturdier for the larger screens. Small size = 17mm. Large size = 25mm. Garmin size ??? Come to find out its a nearly impossible to find a ball mount sized at 22mm. Ugh.
I only saw one option after looking at another frustrated GPS owner who wrote about finding one on eBay (back-ordered of course). I switched gears and kept digging… thinking maybe instead of the ball, I should look for the socket that will fit the 25mm. I found one on Amazon and Voila! This may actually work! I removed the impractical 22mm socket from the back of the charging base and to my utter surprise, the screw pattern on the 25mm mount was identical so within minutes, I was finally in business!
After multiple orders hoping to match parts, I had a clean, sturdy installation to put the GPS just above my stereo, within easy arms reach and out of the line of sight. Whew. Nerd rant over.
