Laptop vehicle mount

[Scramblin_Jim]

I've been wanting to put my laptop (with GPS and maps) into my Scrambler as I go on long expedition trips where the bigger screen of my Panasonic Toughbook comes in handy over my smaller Garmin GPSmap 60CSx. Doing a little research to find a "police car" mount system to use.

I've found some models for Wranglers and was wondering if the seat mounts were the same as for the 8's. Would this mount work?

http://cgi.ebay.com/RAM-VB-158-RAM-Laptop-Vehicle-Mount-Base-Stand-Jeep_W0QQitemZ370099161595QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item562ba109fb&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

 

[Randyzzz]

Looks like something that could be fabbed simply....

I have one of those in-dash DVD players, I wonder if the video output on the laptop could be hooked into the video input on the stereo?

 

[bigwalton]

You realize that's just the base plate? You have to buy the stand to bolt to that and the mount to go on the stand.

I would not try to fab one of these. I did some marketing work for a company (LEDCO, now Havis) that made these and there's a lot that goes into the design because a laptop on the end of a 2-3' stand is a BIG projectile if something goes wrong. FWIW, Havis' mounting systems are much better than RAM, RAM is just bigger and spends more on marketing, so they're better known.

No idea on getting a Wrangler mount to fit, you could call a distributor of one of these brands to ask them if they know. These companies have extensive fitment databases...

Just my $.02, I'm not affiliated in any way with any of these companies!

 

[trust]

I've seen some of the commercial lap top mounts advertised in Chief Products(?) and other fire/police supply catalogs, the whole assembly is pretty spendy. A friend has one that mounts to the floor with a swivel pedestal and everything straps down very nicely, but the passenger seat use is lost and I don't think he can see the map while driving because the pedestal is simply 1 3/4 or so thin wall tubing about30-36" up from the floor with a flat platform on the top with straps for the computer and it tends to vibrate and jiggle. Another of my friends who does an incredible amount of extended solo wheeling has build his own system for real time scrolling GPS. He has built a base that fits the 'bucket' of the passenger seat that leaves a level platform and all the electronics are mounted to that platform (It's plywood I think). He uses the seat belt and some 1" rachet straps to hold the assembly to the seat so it doesn't become a missle. Seems pretty secure to me but doesn't allow for a passenger in the seat either.