How can I stick my XM Radio into my car?
February 8, 2006 8:16 AM   Subscribe

How do I stick my XM Roady2 into my car in a removeable sort of way? Velcro does not seem to be working very well...

I have an XM Roady2. It comes with a couple of installation options - an air vent thing, and a flat swivel mount thing. I don't like the air vent option and the flat swivel thing sticks out too far and gets in the way of my cupholders, so I took the velcro strips that came with the radio and stuck the velcro to my dashboard in a spot where it fit perfectly. I was hoping that I would then be able to pull the radio off and put it away when I was parked in a bad area or something, and just velcro it back on to the dash when I needed it. The problem is that when I tried to pull off the radio, it pulled of ALL the velcro (from the gluey part, not just the top velcro part - I hope this makes sense). Because of that and the weather, I think, the velcro no longer sticks to my dash (or is glued to my dash), and the radio keeps falling off. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can either make the velcro do what I want it to do (like, for example, velcro brands that will stick to plastic better?) or can you think of other installation options? The main factor here is that I want the radio to be as flat to the dash as possible and not stick out and get in the way of my cup holders. I know this is long, and I hope it makes sense, if it doesn't, ask me questions, I'll try to clarify. Thank you!
posted by echo0720 to Travel & Transportation (7 answers total)
 
Many cel phone stores sell flat magnetic stickers for this purpose. The glue on the ones I use holds very well, and the magnets are strong enough to hold a cel phone to the dash through bumpy rides.
posted by rocket88 at 8:28 AM on February 8, 2006


This company makes some awesome products for mounting stuff in cars: http://www.proclipusa.com
posted by joshgray at 8:39 AM on February 8, 2006


...But looks like they don't have a model specifically for the Roady2. Maybe one of their adapters would work? http://www.proclipusa.com/mountingoptions/mountingaccessories.aspx
posted by joshgray at 8:42 AM on February 8, 2006


Take a look at the Pro-Fit options, something there might work for you. They have Roady-specific products, though I haven't used them myself.
posted by sysinfo at 8:44 AM on February 8, 2006


Do you use Armor All or another protectant on your dash? Velcro won't stick to that stuff. If the car's new enough it's also possible that it had something from the factory that hasn't worn off yet. Solution: apply some harsh dishwashing detergent to the general area and rub a lot, then see if the Velcro (you'll need new strips) sticks any better. If that doesn't help, use some fine sandpaper to slightly rough up the general area where the Velcro goes. (This is a last resort, obviously, but the Roady will be in front of any damage most of the time you're in the car.) Just enough to "break the gloss" and possibly wear down some of the texture, if there is any.
posted by kindall at 8:45 AM on February 8, 2006


Don't use the cheap Velcro either. They make an industrial-grade Velcro with much stronger glue and the hooks and loops work better as well. You can pick it up and any large hardware store.
posted by Roger Dodger at 9:41 AM on February 8, 2006


Response by poster: Thanks everyone, I'll look into all these options. Keep 'em coming if you have any more ideas!

Kindall, nope no armor all. I cleaned the plastic with some sort of alcohol pads that came with the roady before I stuck the velcro on, that's all. I think that it probably just wasn't strong enough. The magnetic sticker idea from Rocket88 sounds like a good idea and the pro-clip and pro-fit things, if they don't stick out too much, might also be feasible.
posted by echo0720 at 10:30 AM on February 8, 2006


« Older Differences between dubbed and spoken Japanese   |   Help Me Get Married in Alameda County Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.