Dezined

EDIT: I have since done another tablet project, which you can see here:https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/car-...t-mount-w.html

Okay, so I was gonna go the whole carputer route, but I have a 10 in tablet that I bring with me all the time anyway since it has my whole music library on it.

Typically I toss it on the passenger seat, but I want to come up with a way to put it where it's case is in this pic.



It's just the case cause I was using the tablet to take the pic.

I'm a pretty minimalist kind of person, so a big gawdy dock won't work. I tried finding a project box about the size of the tablet to fab a holder I could just slide the unit into, but couldn't find any the right size.

Help me brainstorm something elegant but effective.

Oh, and as a note, I don't want to permanently install the tablet in the car. This will be something that will hold it while driving and that's all.

Dezined

So I could never find anything that worked for a mount. Everything was too expensive, too gawdy, too hokey, or put the tablet in a bad spot. Since the PO savagely gutted the center vents, and relocated the deck there, the only thing that is covered by the tablet is the HVAC, which I hardly touch anyways. This is also just a slide in mount. I remove the tablet everytime I leave the car.



The top support is just a coat hanger bent to shape. I drilled 2 small holes in the top of the console to run the hanger in, and glued underneath. It's coated in heat shrink and electrical tape, but I don't like it. Looks too DIY. Will prolly head to store and get some plasti-dip.



The bottom support nub thingy is just a metal retainer clip trimmed and bent to size, and covered with a couple layers of heat shrink. Again, it's glued to the underneath of the shifter plate. Ashtray lid clears it fine, and can still open and close with no problem.



It holds the tablet very firmly, I'm happy (aside from how coat hanger part looks) with it. And with the tablet out, everything is still pretty low key, which is what I was going for. At some point, after I experiment a bit, I may find a way to make the top support able to fold into the console so it's totally out of the way.



So? Feedback, what do you guys think?

hotspace

Looks good....did you know you have red screws?? <--- Too funny

I'd be really worried that the coat hanger was going to scratch the glass of the tablet. Can you get it to sit in there securely while it's still in its case?

Dezined

The PO painted a lot of things inside the car red, since its red outside. I like it, but will have to redo it because he did terrible work.

The glass on the tablet is gorilla glass, so I'm not worried about scratches, but just in case that's why its covered in electrical tape and heat shrink. Rubber between all metal and glass.

As far as it fitting in the case, no go. There's no hard cases for these tablets (Asus transformer) and the way the case folds makes it stick too far to the right. Its still something I'm brainstorming though, as I'd like to not have to remove it from the case every time.

jaybdaboat

More updated pics??

Dezined

Ive actually decided to go a different route. I've reloacted my HVAC controls to the ashtray area, and am going to install a tablet permanently in the console. I'll post pictures soon.

jaybdaboat

How did that work?

Dezined

Pretty good. They're all mounted, just need to fab a hood to cover the back of the controls, which will be easy, then move on to making the tablet mount behind the radio bezel. That will have to wait until I get the sheets of abs plastic in the mail though, hopefully this week. I have a repair guy coming this morning, I'll get a couple pictures thrown up after that.

Dezined

This is where I'm at now. Need to make the hood for the back of the HVAC, then it's on to making the sleeve for the tablet to sit behind the radio bezel.

jaybdaboat

I can't wait to see. I have a thread were im using my iPad too. But looking for a cleaner look

gsxrfann

Why not just put a small strip of velcro up on the edge of the hvac controls and then a small piece right in front of the ash tray? That way you could still use your case and the velcro would blend in with the black finish of the plastic.
..........................just an idea.

jaybdaboat

I been thinking about that. But my radio sticks out to far I would need like a 3 in clearance that looks oem

Panther1

Dezined; any progress? pics? I too am very interested in the install. Are you going with the transformer unit or a different tablet?

jaybdaboat

I have a thread where I did my own version as well.

Panther1

got a link? you did the ipad right? how does it compare as far as size to the transformer?

jaybdaboat

I don't know what a transformer is, besides the movie. Just search for iPad

Dezined

I've since upgraded to a newer version of the transformer. I have a tf300t now, and it's too wide as well as tall. My wife was kind enough to suprise me with a galaxy tab 2 7.0. With the smaller screen, it won't fill up as much as I originally wanted, but I think it will be fine.

The weather here over the last week has been pretty bad, so progress has slowed, but here's a shot I took this morning.



It's still rough right now. I'm going to roll the edges of the hood for the hvac in, flush against it's faceplate. Then add some texture to the sheet metal, and repaint it.

Right now I'm working on the sleeve that holds my tablet against the ABS that's cut there in the radio bezel. That's turning out to be the 2nd hardest part of this whole project. I'll be able to spend some time with it this weekend, so I'll post more pics if I make progress.

Dezined

I made a new thread over here:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/car-...t-mount-w.html
with a write up and pics of this new project.