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mounting GPS in a rental car

I am using a lease car for my upcoming trip to Europe and bringing a GPS (with Europe maps) with me. Is there a way to mount the GPS that wont damage the car I have seen posts from people who brought them and wondered how they did it. Thanks.

Posted by
10344 posts

The usual way of mounting it on the windshield, with a suction cup, doesn't damage the car.

What will damage the car is if you don't take the mounting device off when you leave the car, since this makes it more likely your car will be broken into by thieves looking for the GPS they believe is in your car. Some GPS owners keep tissue or wipes in the car to wipe off the suction ring imprint on the windshield (it's been rumored that thieves look for that imprint as a tip-off that a GPS might be in the car and they break the window or jimmy the door just to find out).
Are you asking if there's another way?

In states like California where windshield mount is not allowed, a small device like a small bean bag with plastic mount sticking up from it, is provided by rental car companies and it sits on the dash and (usually) won't slide off (the bottom is coated with something with a high coefficient of friction).

Posted by
12313 posts

My TomTom has a suction cup. You can also buy bean bag holders that sit on the dash and keep your GPS in one place. Either one is easy to remove. We do what was already suggested, wipe off the suction cup ring when we leave the car.

Posted by
9371 posts

My TomTom has a suction cup mount, but a lot of the time I just set the GPS in the cupholder.