Replacing the Garmin Nuvi Suction Cup Mount

Replacing the Garmin Nuvi Suction Cup MountGarmin has been providing the same basic mount with their Nuvi GPS models since the beginning when they introduced the Garmin Nuvi 350.  Unlike the older StreetPilot series, the Nuvi was much thinner versus the brick sized Streetpilot line and the suction cup mount, pictured within this article, was a bit new to Garmin.  That old Streetpilot was a large heavy unit, so the larger Streetpilots were typically used with a dashboard mount.  In fact, I don’t recall if a suction cup mount was even available.

So you’re probably reading this article because, as the title indicates, you need to replace your Garmin Nuvi suction cup mount.  But not so fast.  If the reason for replacement is that it isn’t sticking any longer, there might be a way to salvage it.  Read our article on this topic.  Sometimes, it’s a matter of taking some corrective action on the surface it is being adhered to.

The basic Garmin Nuvi Suction Cup Mount is shown in the photo that accompanies this article.  It has a short neck attached to a suction cup.  The bottom of the cup is adhered to a smooth flat surface by pressing the lever down after placing it where you want it.  There are no other adjustment points other than the ball and socket ending.

An important note before going further.  You don’t have to replace your Garmin suction cup with one made by Garmin.  There are a lot of other options and we will cover a few of them.  The important thing to look for when selecting an alternative suction cup mount for your Nuvi is to make sure it has a 17mm ball at the end.  That’s the standard size for a Garmin Nuvi cradle socket.  Removal of the cradle from the existing mount is easy, just pull it off.  We have a detailed article on that maneuver here.

You can step up to the Arkon Replacement Suction Cup Mount for Garmin Nuvi for about the same price.  I have recommended this mount for a long time for a few reasons.  These mounts come with a 2-year warranty and these stick real well.  Unlike the Garmin mount, this one has an adjustment point halfway down so you can adjust the height.  Like the Garmin mount, the Arkon brand comes with an adhesive dashboard disk as well.  This is especially useful in states where windshield attachment is not allowed.

A new mount that we can recommend is the Arkon Sticky Mount for Garmin Nuvi which can attach to your windshield or dash without the use of any adhesive.  Like the prior mount, this one also has an adjustment point halfway down.  What sets this mount apart from most is the ability to attach to a textured dashboard.  The bottom of the suction mount has a sticky surface and a vacuum lock which when pushed down will allow the mount to attach to smooth or textured surfaces like your windshield or dashboard.  When the sticky surface isn’t sticky any longer, just rinse it warm soapy water to recharge it.

A completely different type of suction cup mount is the nicely constructed Extension Windshield Mount for Garmin Nuvi.  The mount includes a 17mm ball adapter that is made to fit the socket on the back of your Nuvi cradle.  It extends from 14-18 inches and has a metal arm that withstands vibrations reasonably well. This is an excellent mount for trucks, recreational vehicles or large SUVs where it’s a fairly long reach from the driver to the windshield.

You can see that we concentrated on suction cup mounts for this article.  There are mounts available for a lot of other locations too and we cover them in our article entitled Choosing the Right GPS Mount.