Ok, here is a solution that works out great for me. I have an older car, and don't mind drilling a few holes in the dashboard!
The first picture "ttpic1" shows how I drilled a small hole just to the right of the center vents, and routed the power cord through it. The small connector kind of wedges in, and gravity pulling the cord draped behind the console also helps hold it in place. You'll notice in "ttpic2" that I'm lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to have a dashboard cover that has warped over the years. I found an angled piece of plastic that I bolted to a vent mount, and this modified piece wedges securely in the space where my dashboard cover has warped. I got lucky because it is at such a good height... not high enough to be on the dashboard, and not low enough to have the satellite signal easily blocked.
Once that was done, I had to add a shade as shown in "ttpic3." I found a plastic tray for a frozen dinner that happens to have a section the perfect size (and color). It was easy to cut the shade shape out of the thin plastic. The round cut-out part is just slightly larger than the round back panel attachement points on the unit, so it is held nicely when the unit is snapped into the mount. Note that it does not slide on or off, but must be put in place as you snap the things together. Notice "ttpic3" also shows a cellphone holder to the far right, which is discussed below.
The picture "ttpic4" shows a small piece of plastic that I added to keep heat from the vent from blowing directly on the unit. Next I wanted to camoflage the unit. I used another plastic tray and perforated electronics board (basically it's a thin piece of plastic with small evenly-spaced holes in it) to make a cover. I had to spray paint the electronics board black since they're usually a light brown color. Adding a small spiral notebook and a pen, and my Tom Tom unit looks like a slightly oversized notepad and pen set (which are functional, of course, if I need to use them!) also shown in "ttpic4."
I wanted to make and integrated cover that I could conveniently flip-up or flip-down, but found it was really only practical to have it slide on and off. So because this cover had to be detachable, I needed to find a way to store it when it was off. As I mentioned above, I added one of those adjustable cellphone holders on the far side of the dashboard. I had to mount it sideways, but it could still hold a cellphone if you wanted it to. I also attached another piece of a plastic tray onto the cellphone holder (so it was basically the same shape as the shade over the Tom Tom). Again I got lucky, and the cover/notepad could slide onto the cellphone holder without blocking any of my window view, or taking up any dashboard space! Notice that I keep a paperclip on the first sheet of the notepad to keep the breeze from flipping it around, very annoying.
Scenario 1. (Not pictured) The Tom Tom is not installed in my car: I have a sideways cellphone holder with a plastic shade on the far side of the dashboard, and a small power connector resting on the console.
Scenario 2. (First picture in "ttpic5") When the Tom Tom IS in my car and NOT being used: I have a notepad/pen at center, and a sideways cellphone holder to the right.
Scenario 3. (Second picture in "ttpic5") When the Tom Tom is in my car and being used: I have the unit at center, and a notepad/pen on the far side of the dashboard.
By the way, I also have the power cord behind the console hooked up to a hidden outlet that is controlled by a switch on the dashboard (so I did not have to hack into the power cable). It would be really nice if the Tom Tom would turn on when the power came on, becuase I have to wedge my little finger under the attached shade to turn it on. So, now nobody will know I have a GPS system hidden in my car... as long as I don't do anything stupid like take pictures and post it on the internet!
The first picture "ttpic1" shows how I drilled a small hole just to the right of the center vents, and routed the power cord through it. The small connector kind of wedges in, and gravity pulling the cord draped behind the console also helps hold it in place. You'll notice in "ttpic2" that I'm lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to have a dashboard cover that has warped over the years. I found an angled piece of plastic that I bolted to a vent mount, and this modified piece wedges securely in the space where my dashboard cover has warped. I got lucky because it is at such a good height... not high enough to be on the dashboard, and not low enough to have the satellite signal easily blocked.
Once that was done, I had to add a shade as shown in "ttpic3." I found a plastic tray for a frozen dinner that happens to have a section the perfect size (and color). It was easy to cut the shade shape out of the thin plastic. The round cut-out part is just slightly larger than the round back panel attachement points on the unit, so it is held nicely when the unit is snapped into the mount. Note that it does not slide on or off, but must be put in place as you snap the things together. Notice "ttpic3" also shows a cellphone holder to the far right, which is discussed below.
The picture "ttpic4" shows a small piece of plastic that I added to keep heat from the vent from blowing directly on the unit. Next I wanted to camoflage the unit. I used another plastic tray and perforated electronics board (basically it's a thin piece of plastic with small evenly-spaced holes in it) to make a cover. I had to spray paint the electronics board black since they're usually a light brown color. Adding a small spiral notebook and a pen, and my Tom Tom unit looks like a slightly oversized notepad and pen set (which are functional, of course, if I need to use them!) also shown in "ttpic4."
I wanted to make and integrated cover that I could conveniently flip-up or flip-down, but found it was really only practical to have it slide on and off. So because this cover had to be detachable, I needed to find a way to store it when it was off. As I mentioned above, I added one of those adjustable cellphone holders on the far side of the dashboard. I had to mount it sideways, but it could still hold a cellphone if you wanted it to. I also attached another piece of a plastic tray onto the cellphone holder (so it was basically the same shape as the shade over the Tom Tom). Again I got lucky, and the cover/notepad could slide onto the cellphone holder without blocking any of my window view, or taking up any dashboard space! Notice that I keep a paperclip on the first sheet of the notepad to keep the breeze from flipping it around, very annoying.
Scenario 1. (Not pictured) The Tom Tom is not installed in my car: I have a sideways cellphone holder with a plastic shade on the far side of the dashboard, and a small power connector resting on the console.
Scenario 2. (First picture in "ttpic5") When the Tom Tom IS in my car and NOT being used: I have a notepad/pen at center, and a sideways cellphone holder to the right.
Scenario 3. (Second picture in "ttpic5") When the Tom Tom is in my car and being used: I have the unit at center, and a notepad/pen on the far side of the dashboard.
By the way, I also have the power cord behind the console hooked up to a hidden outlet that is controlled by a switch on the dashboard (so I did not have to hack into the power cable). It would be really nice if the Tom Tom would turn on when the power came on, becuase I have to wedge my little finger under the attached shade to turn it on. So, now nobody will know I have a GPS system hidden in my car... as long as I don't do anything stupid like take pictures and post it on the internet!
