Contents
An iPad in your car is a game changer.
Small screens are hard to see while you’re driving. On the other hand, a tablet car mount like an iPad offers bigger displays.
Want to know the best part?
This opens a world of possibilities for connectivity and custom driving apps. An iPad on your dash serves as a budget choice to expensive in-dash units. It also offers a lot more functionality.
Still not convinced?
Read on for our four favorite things you can do with a big and beautiful iPad tablet mounted on your car’s dashboard.
Our Four Favorite Uses for an iPad in Your Car
1.) Build a Set of Custom Digital Gauges
Have you ever wanted a complete set of gauges for your car?
Piece of cake.
Plug a wireless on-board diagnostics (OBD) accessory into the OBD port. The port is under the steering wheel. Then, fire up AutoMeter’s DashLink or the standalone Torque app. Voila!
You can now check:
- Temperatures
- Oil pressure
- Turbo boost
- Fuel economy
- Your acceleration to 60 mph
- And more
Here’s a closer look at the Torque app in action:
AutoMeter’s DashLink (formerly Dash Command) running on a Nexus 7 tablet in a prototype mount.
2.) Back Up Safely with a Rear View Camera
Adding a rear-view display to your car will reduce stress in parking lots. But the process can take hours if you’re using a wired camera.
Instead, the installation of a wireless license plate camera is fast. With an app-based solution, there’s no need for an extra display screen. Mount the wireless camera, download the app to your tablet, and you’re good to go.
eBay has many wireless cameras available. But the Nonda ZUS Smart Backup Camera stands out with great app integration and an big and wide 170-degree view.
There are tons of backup cameras on eBay. With an iPad on the dash, you have a big screen to see what’s going on.
3.) Slash Your Fuel Costs
Fuel prices can change by 50 cents a gallon from one side of town to the other. Use your iPad to run apps.
Or visit websites like GasBuddy to find the cheapest filling stations. Or use Fuelly to track how much fuel your car uses, tank by tank.
The video below shows how you can track your gas usage with Fuelly:
Mobile apps like Dash also help you drive more fuel-efficiently. If you drive a lot, you can save hundreds of dollars every year by finding the best prices on fuel and working on Fred Astaire foot movements for the best efficiency.
These three suggestions are the beginning of what’s possible with a tablet car mount.
It gets better…
4.) Tons of Free Apps
There are tons of car-related apps that take on a new life when displayed via a large dashboard-mounted iPad.
In addition to maps from Google and Apple, take a spin with crowd-sourced navigation from Waze.
Or find the tastiest food on your route with Yelp.
On your way there, rock out in your car with easy-to-read music apps, such as:
And the best part?
Many of these apps are free.
Advice About Having an iPad In Your Car
Phone mounts are okay for phones and small devices. But you need a more secure setup for an iPad, iPad mini, or Android Tablet.
There are several tablet car mount kits for an iPad mini. The common method is to use a big phone holder. This accessory might be fast and easy to fit in the short run, but it’s not the cleanest or safest approach.
Tablets are much heavier than smartphones. To avoid the device from becoming an airborne hazard, you must secure the iPad-mounting tool to the car. The tablet itself must be rock-solid within the mount. Bolted down mounts are most secure—rather than stuck on.
Yet, many of the more secure mounts are ugly. With a little elbow grease, you can blend an iPad into the dashboard. An aftermarket tablet car mount kit makes the job doable.
What Size Tablet Is Best for an iPad in Your Car?
One of your most important decisions is the size of the iPad to mount in your car. A full-size iPad might create some razzle-dazzle on your dash, but can be a lot to look at.
Think about the iPad mini. It is well-sized for most applications. On top of that, it’s easy on the wallet.
Factory-installed “double DIN” dashboard units are 8 x 4 inches. On average, their touchscreen displays measure more than seven inches. That’s a good size. It’s about the same as the iPad mini 4’s high-resolution Retina display, which is 7.9 inches tall.
Custom Dash Mount Solutions for an iPad in Your Car
This is crazy:
The slickest dashboard integrations for an iPad or iPad mini are custom builds that match your dashboard.
If you have the skill to mold a tablet display into a vehicle’s dash, go for it. Check out this DIY iPad Mini install by Soundman Car Audio:
Angry Off Road iPad Mini Mount
Bolt-in tablet mounts are available for a limited number of vehicles.
Owners of Jeep Wranglers (from 2011 to 2016) should check out Angry Off Road’s iPad mini mount. It’s a rugged unit that installs right on the dashboard over the stock radio with a single screw. Here’s an installation video:
The audio feed runs into the stock radio via an audio cable. Or through Bluetooth (if the original radio supports it). The mount holds the iPad mini. You can easily remove them from a parked vehicle.
Angry Off-Road also offers an iPad tablet car mount for the 2013-2018 Ram pickup. Check out this Ram installation video:
Retro Customz and Carichs
Pickup trucks are the best-selling vehicles in America. It’s not a surprise that our “offices on the road” enjoy the most support from aftermarket suppliers. Retro Customz and Carrichs both offer iPad mounting kits for the Ford F-150, F-250, and F-350.
Angry Off Road’s iPad mini mount for late-model Jeeps.
eBay Motors offers a growing number of universal table mounts for slick and seamless integration.
Carrichs also offers tablet kits for the Subaru Forester, WRX, and STi, as well as the Jeep Wrangler. An eBay seller named danilich.ifab builds tablet kits for the Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe. They also build for the GMC Sierra and Yukon.
Padholdr
If a ready-made mount or custom in-dash integration isn’t available or practical for your vehicle, a Padholdr solution can get the job done.
The Padholdr system uses special brackets that bolt into the side of the dashboard. The bracket pairs with an extension arm and your choice of tablet holders. It’s an easy install. Padholdr offers many frames to fit most tablets. Here’s more information on their available products:
As well as a product unboxing video with installation instructions:
eBay Motors offers tons of universal tablet car mounts for slick and seamless integration if you want to use a tablet other than an iPad.
Avoid Driver Distraction From an iPad in Your Car
Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz commonly place their multimedia screen high on the dashboard. It’s strategic. But, it’s a safety issue.
A high mounting position puts the mobile device in the line of sight. You’ll want to keep that in mind as you think about mounting solutions or a stand for your iPad.
You should mount the iPad or other tablet in a spot that doesn’t force you to take your eyes far off the road.
Glare can also be an issue for tablets or touchscreen dashboard units in older cars. (High-end units don’t glare as much.)
In most cases, you can fix this by tilting the tablet or adjusting the screen settings.
Shop iPads now Shop custom mounting kitsHow about you? What’s your iPad car control system look like? What tablet/mount/apps are your must haves? Let us know in the comments below!
