The Garmin NuviCam LMTHD seems like a great idea. Combining a high quality high definition display GPS with a high resolution camera provides a lot of feature potential. Garmin claims this device will be able to provide you with advanced features which cost thousands of dollars in many car models. The camera paired with the 6″ GPS provides collision avoidance alerts if following too close to the car in front of you. It also will provide lane departure alerts if you drift off the road or onto oncoming traffic. The device also provides a high resolution camera which continually records your drive. The camera is mounted on the back of the GPS so our mount discussion will take this position into account so that you can use the GPS and camera most effectively.
The Garmin NuviCam LMTHD comes with a standard Garmin mount which features a suction cup attached to a stem with a 17mm ball. There is a powered cradle that attaches to the 17mm ball via a socket on the back of the cradle. Like the recently announced 3597LMTHD which we wrote about here, the cradle uses a magnetic attachment to the GPS which appears to be a new direction which we really like. This cradle is necessary to power your NuviCam and can be easily removed from the Garmin stock mount by simply pulling it off.
Like previous GPS models, the Garmin NuviCam LMTHD suction cup mount is nothing to write home about and we like to recommend the Arkon suction mount which has been proven to be very reliable. This is a really nice mount that also features an adhesive dash disk in case you would like to mount the Garmin NuviCam LMTHD on your dash. The placement of the camera on the back means the Arkon mount can be used in either configuration. The windshield or dash will work real nicely with this GPS / camera combination.
We have written about suction cup mounts on the windshield being illegal in some states which can be read here. A great alternative which is easy to transport is the Garmin bean bag mount. We wrote a detailed review on this which can be read here. This mount weighs almost two pounds and features the 17mm ball which is needed to fit the back of the cradle. The mount features a non skid bottom and installation involved placing it on a flat dashboard. The NuviCam is perfectly positioned with unobstructed view for the camera on the back of the GPS.
If the bean bag mount is a bit too heavy for your liking, Garmin offers a lighter weight dash mount. This mount weighs less than 8 ounces. Like the bean bag version, the mount features a 17mm ball that will fit the cradle that came with your Garmin NuviCam LMTHD. It has a non skid bottom as well. The neck attached to the 17mm ball can fold down for storage. Both Garmin mounts are well made. I prefer the bean bag as I think it’s a heavier duty mount than the lightweight version.
For trucks and large SUVs, the Arkon Suction Cup Extension Mount is a nice choice. It extends from 14 – 18 inches, the arm is made if metal and it includes adapters for the latest Garmin and TomTom models. This includes the 17mm ball that is common to the back of all Garmin Nuvi cradles. Just remove the cradle from the current car mount and snap onto this mount.
We concentrated on mounts that will permit use of the camera and GPS concurrently. There are lots of other GPS mounts that will work with a Garmin NuviCam LMTHD and are appropriate if there are no plans to use the camera. You can read about some of them here.