DIY Rod Truck Mount

> I am going to change the top bungees to straps, so it does not try to sag its way down, but other than that I am wondering why I didn't build this 2 years ago when I first had the idea.

I've been thinking about building one, but haven't figured out how to add a shock absorber for corrugated gravel roads. If that design you're illustrating bottoms out when the truck hits a pothole, I can see things going South from there.

What is to prevent the four contact points from rubbing the paint to bare metal?

SHG

We have one which is a simple threaded bolt mounted on a roof rack.

Screw the GPS on and away you go.

Obviously not for long term use but simpler, safer and easier than the pvc pipe affair in the photos.

> I've been thinking about building one, but haven't figured out how to add a shock absorber for corrugated gravel roads. If that design you're illustrating bottoms out when the truck hits a pothole, I can see things going South from there.

I was concerned about bottoming out also and that is why I have it mounted close to the rear wheel. I don't think it will with it there. It could be made 3 or 4 inches higher off the ground, but then it would be higher in the air and hit branches, which is a bigger problem for where I am driving.
Shock absorber would be nice, but I think this is better than laying in the back of the truck on its side. Have been banging this same receiver around for years and it does not seem to care. What is great about this, is I could grab it off the truck and it was in "fixed" mode and ready to go.

> What is to prevent the four contact points from rubbing the paint to bare metal?
>
> SHG

Those rubber boots are very soft, but on this 14 year old Ram with 190k miles and many of scratches from branches, that was not a real concern. 😀
They also have some really big (4"Dia.) suction cups, that I had thought about trying. It may even help hold it all, but did not have a good way to mount the cups to the pipe. Maybe the next generation, when I get a new truck.

We just have a huge magnet with rubber to protects the finish that goes on the roof. Magnet is pretty strong. The GPS has a quick connect that can go from the pole to the magnet. Hasn't fallen off the roof yet.

> We have one which is a simple threaded bolt mounted on a roof rack.
>
> Screw the GPS on and away you go.
>
Not understanding what you said, do you have a picture?

It costs a little more than your $50, but this item from SECO works very well for us.

One thing about surveyors is many of us are DIY'ers. Any ingenuity that helps us do our job, I appreciate seeing.

I might suggest using some closed rubber foam on those contact points to both cushion the rig and protect the truck body. Trucks are still one of our most valuable tools.

Thanks for sharing.

I may just think too simply, but I just use a prism pole with the point inside the passenger side on the carpet/floor and top out the window (it is vertical). Put an old tee shirt or foam pad around the pole near the top of the window, roll the window up to hold pole in place. This way I can set the AHT at 2 meters same as the rover pole. Has worked fine for over 7 years. Extra costs is zero. Plus the pole is way more protected from collisions.

For a 4-door vehicle, use any of the non-driver's doors.

I was going to do the DIY thing, but I found a manufactured version of my vision two years ago. and bought it for $160. Seems like the SECO was double that at the time.

I don't adjust the top holder this high. Mine is adjusted to hook up between the collet for tightening the extension and the level bubble, but my pole is aluminum. Hent highlights a concern I have. Need to take time to DIY a rubber grommet in the bottom to reduce shock a little more vetically. There is enough play between reciever and insert to create a fair amount of side to side motion when I am in rough terrain, but this probably doesn't have the shock value created by potholes and such.

You can't see how the top is held in this pic, but it 'clicks' into a two sided holder that accepts either of the common sizes of prism/gps poles. The extension is long enough to put the tailgate down on my chevy, but not a new Ford.

The worst of it is the gravel road dust, and I would a small reciever from the farm store and place it just behind the driver's side door so I could do the side mount like the SECO if you guys using a side mount thought that saved the equipment from the lime dust. If not I would just continue to use it like it is.

Steve

> ... Extra costs is zero. Plus the pole is way more protected from collisions.
>
> For a 4-door vehicle, use any of the non-driver's doors.

I like the frugality!

Cost over function multiplied by imagination. That's what I'm talking about. 😛

All of them I looked at buying had no way to hold the bi-pod legs. I always have it on the rod, but do not trust it to not slip. So I wanted something holding both of those tips also.

> ...
>
> The worst of it is the gravel road dust, and I would a small reciever from the farm store and place it just behind the driver's side door so I could do the side mount like the SECO if you guys using a side mount thought that saved the equipment from the lime dust. If not I would just continue to use it like it is.
>
>
> Steve

Not a bad setup. If your tailgate was the split type, it might allow easy access to the bed storage. The shock in the rear is something I would worry about.

The dust issue on construction jobs etc. is a concern. Started to make a dust box out of plexy that wouldn't interfere with reception. I tooled around with it some and that stuff is heat moldable. But it takes a lot of heat to get it malleable to form. It also welds together fairly easily. But never finished it. Got too busy with other projects.

Plastic grocery bags - easy to apply, disposable, plentiful, and cheap.

I've used grocery bags for rain protection many times. They seem to reduce reception dispite having an antenna hole, and my Hipers generate a ton of heat which doesn't dissapate as well with the bag on.

Steve

> Plastic grocery bags - easy to apply, disposable, plentiful, and cheap.

Nice and frugal too!

A little noisy in the wind. I was hoping to make one that would take a hit from a stray stone thrown up from the wheel, which has happened at least once. But the bag and some padding might work as long as the top of the receiver isn't blocked.

A good idea is born...:-D

Rod Truck Mount

we have a Seco magnetic roof mount - works well; we also have 2 of the B&B Outrigger poles: http://gpssurveytruckrack.com/ like them even more than the mag mount.
(pretty reasonable - often they will be on sale on ebay).

The boss has put a quick release fitting on it since the last time I looked at it.

We had to put a roof rack on the car for our twin orange flashing lights and so the addition of this little fitting was very simple and easy.

Despite the photo looking like there isn't, there is enough room between the light and the fitting to sit the rtk there nicely.