Onboard Navigation
I had been researching solutions for overland navigation for a long time, as I recognized it was something I would need as my adventures took me further and further afield. Originally, I had looked into some dedicated GPS units, but the price was awfully steep. I have an old iPad laying around, so I thought it may be a good idea to use that. I'd have to get the Bad Elf GPS unit to use it, but otherwise it seemed like a good idea. Then I looked at mounting it. Unfortunately, my iPad was huge, and impractical for mounting in the cab of my relatively small truck. Then I started doing a little research. I had been told that the non-cellular Samsung tablets were not equipped with an onboard GPS chip, so I looked at other options. Then I had a conversation with my dad (he's a private pilot). He said the Samsung tablets do have the GPS onboard, because he uses one as a backup system. A little more digging revealed that most of the tablets come with the all-important GPS chip, including the super cheap and compact Tab 4 7.0". So I waited until the holiday sales and picked up my new tablet, for the sole purpose of using as a navigation device, for a whopping $130.
As for software, I scoured the navigation software section of ExPo, until I read about Backcountry Navigator. I tried it out and loved it. I used it on my phone to navigate my way through Canada last year. I now had my backroads mapping program. For offline use in town, a friend from work pointed me towards Copilot, an awesome offline nav app that makes your Android device function like a dedicated GPS. The app has very up-to-date databases, including the whole US, Canada, and Mexico. I'm still looking into maps for Central America. Now I've got a very powerful navigation app suite, and thanks to a 32gb microSD card, tons of storage for offline maps. Now all I had to do was mount it.
For this job, I went with a company I had dealt with before, Ram Mounts. They have a specific cradle that was perfect for mounting my Tab 4, and a huge variety of mounting solutions to make it work pretty much anywhere. I had a good idea where I wanted it, so it was just a matter of taking a few dash measurements and finding the right base and arm combination. Here's what I ordered:
RAP-B-347U: 1.7" x 2" composite base
RAM-B-201U-A: Short double socket metal arm
RAM-B-202U: 2.5 inch ball base w/AMPS mounting pattern
RAM-HOL-SAM8U: EZ-Roll'r cradle for Samsung Tab 4 7.0
After getting the parts in the mail, I ran to the hardware store to pick up some hardware. I settled on allen-head black chrome screws for mounting the plate, because of the clean look. Then I went home, removed the dash center section, and got to drilling.
Once I had the holes where I wanted them, I installed the hardware, stepping up to large washers to stiffen up the dash and spread the load more efficiently.
The result looked awesome.
Then came the straightforward process of reinstalling the dash center section. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. It looks so clean!
Then I screwed the round base to the cradle and attached the arm before putting it all together.
I was pretty surprised at how solid the mount turned out, and the location is perfect. Everything is out of the way, and I can still access all the radio and HVAC controls without a problem.
I can see the tablet really well from here, and using it on the go is pretty easy as well.
Overall I couldn't be more pleased with this mod. It solves the navigation issue completely, and looks very clean and professional. And for less than $300. All that's left for me now is ordering up a really short micro USB cable to charge it.
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