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    Console Laptop Mount

    Since joining the GPS world, I needed a mounting for our laptop up front where both driver and navigator can see it. I was also fortunate in our move from the Front Lounge to the Rear Bath LD in that the doghouse cupholders were identical in both, so it was easy to move the laptop holder.

    PDR 0521t 

     

    		 My design swivels to either side and pulls in and out about 8 inches. 

     PDR 0522t

     

    		 Here it is turned for the copilot. Now she can also do email on the fly! 

     PDR 0523t

     

    		  The top swiveling platform has industrial-strength Velcro attached to securely hold the laptop in place.

     PDR 0524t

     

    		 This shows the base piece with its track for the sliding computer platform. It's a rather unusual shape, cuz I needed to incorporate two new cup-holders while trying not to impede seat access too much. We'll see how our knees fare. And no, those aren't shoulder pads - they're heavy-duty furniture glides that prevent side-to-side wobbling.

     PDR 0526t

     

    		  Here is the bottom of the base piece. Pretty simple - the two blocks wedge securely into the LD beverage holders. A screw up through the bottom of each of the LD cup-holders really makes it secure.

     PDR 0525t

     

    		  This shows the track on the bottom of the swiveling platform that fits into the track on the base piece. It's merely a length of center-bottom mount drawer glide. A single bolt with double nuts lets the platform swivel as needed.

    bolt1-t 

    		  Our first outing revealed a design flaw - the laptop would roll front and back as the LD accelerated or braked. I needed something to lock it in place when traveling. The solution is a bolt with a wing-nut head coming up through the bottom track. By turning it all the way up (on right), the upper track hits it and can't roll out. By turning it down (on left) a couple of turns when parked, the upper track is free to move back and forth.
     ld112

     I learned the hard way that using the laptop off the Ford's dash 12V outlet can run down the truck battery over several days of camping. I recently installed a 12V outlet (bottom left) powered from the house batteries, along with an illuminated on/off switch (right).

     

    Special thanks to Ohio Ron for sharing with me his secret of providing lateral stability.