Our goals in adapting the Magic Arm for autos included: no drilling required, no space intrusion when the arm is removed (make sure the seat can still slide forward), and most importantly, easy in, easy out. The idea is not to clutter your car interior with hardware that takes over.
Most vehicles have a bolt towards the front of the passenger seat rail. This offers a super convenient spot to mount a bracket for the Magic Arm.
We also want to make sure that the hardware adapts to the widest number of vehicles possible. Of course, we could not test the unit in every possible situation. This means you need to assess for yourself that your car has a way to mount the shoe at the seat rail. We’ve seen some recent model GM cars seem to have a welded or otherwise non-removable attachment of the seat rail to the floor. This appears to be rare. Most vehicles have some kind of bolt, and in most every situation the variety of hardware we supply will work.
So as not to recite all the details, I’ll let the pictures tell the story. At the bottom of this post is shown the actual instructions supplied with the kit. Above that are photos of a typical install. In this case, the vehicle is a 2007 Nissan Pathfinder. The arm goes in very easily. There were still enough threads to fully engage the OEM bolt, otherwise we would have replaced it with one size longer. The finished product does have just a little flex where the shoe meets the floor, but this seems normal enough and does not interfere with using the computer. The arm seems very stable. We do recommend you remove the arm while driving, for your own safety and that of your vehicle. These parts could end up in a bad place during an accident. Ultimately, proper use of the device, of course, is up to the discretion of each customer. Every situation, and each vehicle is different.
Tell us what you think. We’re very happy with how the product performs. We think you will be too!
Mounting Netbooks in vehicles has never been easier. The MINIMOUNT Hardshell Case eliminates bulky trays, awkward clips, and Velcro straps. The Quick Plate mounting attachment makes it really simple for you to take the Netbook in and out of the vehicle on the fly. Mount it only when you need it.
Here’s the part that is a little tougher… deciding which mounting kit alternative makes the most sense. We offer three very different mounting arms for vehicles.
- The Manfrotto Magic Arm
- RAM Pod I Gooseneck
- HD RAM Surface Kit with screw base
The Manfrotto Magic Arm is very adaptable. This means you can position the MINIMOUNT exactly where you want it. You can fold it out of the way of passengers. Face it towards rear seats. Place it low to the seat and out of view. There are many ways to use this versatile accessory. It attaches via the passenger seat rail bolt. There will be about that in another topic. Assuming the mounting bolt attaches securely into the frame of the vehicle, the arm itself is very rigid. However, if the attachment point flexes, the arm can move around quite a bit while the vehicle is in motion. For this reason, we recommend that the MINIMOUNT with Netbook be removed from the arm or stowed down securely while the vehicle is in motion. The need for this varies by vehicle and road conditions. Results can be difficult to predict in advance of installation. Nonetheless, in the right situation, the Magic Arm kit is fantastic. Very easy to use and extremely versatile.
The RAM Mount Pod I arm is quite simply a value oriented option. Very inexpensive and easy to install. Again, it bolts into place using the standard bolt at the front seat rail. Make sure your vehicle has an assessable seat rail bolt before purchase. The limitations of the Pod I arm are two-fold. One, the arm itself consists of an aluminum rod that can be formed a shape that fits your vehicle placing the MINIMOUNT where you want. It is not designed to be easily moved around to different positions. Find a position that works and leave it there. the rod can be cut to a shorter length easily if that helps in finding the best position. The arm is also designed to stay in place. A set screw secures the arm to the base bracket and should not be removed and replaced frequently. Secondly, since the arm is only semi-rigid the MINIMOUNT will bounce around more than other alternatives. It should be removed from the arm using the Quick Plate or RAM ball while the vehicle is in motion.
The Heavy Duty RAM Surface Kit is by far the strongest and most secure vehicle mounting arm we offer. It can be easily combined with the HD Extension Kit for longer reach applications. The catch is that this mount requires drilling and bolting through the vehicle floor, drive hump or other mounting fixture (like a roll bar). Each application is different and the installer must be responsible for assessing the location and means of attachment. The mounting base is very strong and adaptable. RAM sells other ball bases that can also be substituted if required. Once attached in a good location, the arm and extensions are strong very easy to use. The rubber coated balls and clamping arms provide a high degree of dampening and can even be used in rough duty off-road applications. This kit is perfect for 4×4’s, fork lifts, farm equipment and any utility vehicle which can tolerate the bolt on nature of the installation,
There you have it. Feel free to contact us directly with questions about your specific needs. Keep in mind, we have only limited knowledge of individual vehicle models so we may not be able to help with that aspect. We will be happy to assist where we can provide useful information. We are also happy to accept returns on kits that don’t meet your needs provided they are returned in “new” condition with all parts and packaging intact.
We Accept
