Riv 28 Dashboard improvement ?

[SunsetSteve]

The prime real estate on my dashboard is occupied by these obsolete guages. I would like to mount my iPad there, for navigation, but no idea how to do it. What would be the right way to proceed to make it look profesh? If it matters, I also need to place a new VHF up front.

Dashboard.jpg

[tomschauer]

Looks like that rectangular panel is easily removeable. Pull it out, disconnect those old gauges, whatever they are, carefully. Make a new panel from black acrylic or something similar and mount your I pad.

[Thekaj]

If you’re looking for something that just temporarily holds your iPad while underway, I would think an iPad wall mount would do the trick. I found this one on Amazon. Probably easy enough to just remove those two existing gauges and screw in the mount. I do agree with tomschauer that a new piece of acrylic would give it a clean look, rather than leaving the old one with two holes in there.

[RussL]

I don't know how handy you are, but I would be inclined to pull out that old panel, cut our the display size of an iPad and edge band it. Then mount the iPad behind and run a fixed power wire to it. It would take you a few hours but it would be a clean install.

[Midnightsun]

Probably best to mount the iPad with velcro. Reason I say this is an iPad in the sun will overheat and stop working so you may not want to leave it there. Not that it will not recover however it will go into self protect mode until it cools down enough. Could also sew a Sunbrella cover to put over it when not in use. Just a couple of things you may not have thought of.

[RussL]

Good points midnightsun. My sewing skills are not so good, so we may need your help!

[Petemait]

We have a new to us Riviera, and last year (our first season) i had a very similar situation.
There was an old radio mounted on ours and i removed it and replaced it with a 9" garmin gps. It was pretty easy overall.

Also, im guessing a lot of people use ipads for gps', so they must sell kits for this type of install, but the velcro idea does sound smart. Also, how are ipads in direct sunlight?
Good luck.

[SunsetSteve]

Posting to update my dashboard upgrade. I went ahead and ordered a piece of dark acrylic, a magnet system ($18) and a dual port USB plugin.
Pic 1: the new acrylic dash, modelled on the OEM plastic panel. Very proud of it, I am!
Pic 2: with ipad magnetically installed - ancient GPS by Standard Horizon above.
My thinking is I can live with the very old SH radio, since the coordinates that I want (lat-lon, SOG etc.) will be available via the iPad apps, and the ancient SH GPS will address visibility issues of the iPad when needed. The USB port will keep the iPad charged while in use - along with the phone and whatever else. I simply connected it to the wires formerly servicing the old instrument that I trashed.
This has been a very economical upgrade!

New Dash.jpg