Utah Shifter Recess Phone Mount

[Hawsa]

Just starting a thread here to gauge interest!

If you're like me, you find the fold-down shifter super gimmicky. Without a fold-down center console, it is completely useless to me. I usually end up throwing my phone in there, but it does not hold it in an elegant way.

Coming from my Tacoma (profile pic) where I had a very industrial system for holding phone, gps, ipad, radio, etc.. built into the dash, the f-150 is feeling like it needs something specifically designed to accomplish the task of holding my phone in a way that I like. Below is the best solution that I've found, but it eats a cupholder and it is $160. I'm designing and prototyping something that works similarly but fits into the shifter recess.

My solution will likely be SLA-printed with a black abs-like resin (no layer lines, very smooth and has uni-directional strength compared to regular 3d printing)
It will take advantage of Apple MagSafe because that is what I use, but I could easily have a different version that is more universal or specific to another mounting standard (quad lock, ram ball, etc...) if there is enough interest. I'd say 5 people committing to something specific would merit a new design.

Here's kind of a preview of where I'm at with it at the moment. I have the MagSafe portion completed and it's a perfect fit. The base needs some love because of the complex geometry of that recess:

I'll be asking $60 + shipping to start out. Let me know if you are interested!

Sponsored

 

[FrankThompson]

Just starting a thread here to gauge interest!

If you're like me, you find the fold-down shifter super gimmicky. Without a fold-down center console, it is completely useless to me. I usually end up throwing my phone in there, but it does not hold it in an elegant way.

Coming from my Tacoma (profile pic) where I had a very industrial system for holding phone, gps, ipad, radio, etc.. built into the dash, the f-150 is feeling like it needs something specifically designed to accomplish the task of holding my phone in a way that I like. Below is the best solution that I've found, but it eats a cupholder and it is $160. I'm designing and prototyping something that works similarly but fits into the shifter recess.

My solution will likely be SLA-printed with a black abs-like resin (no layer lines, very smooth and has uni-directional strength compared to regular 3d printing)
It will take advantage of Apple MagSafe because that is what I use, but I could easily have a different version that is more universal or specific to another mounting standard (quad lock, ram ball, etc...) if there is enough interest. I'd say 5 people committing to something specific would merit a new design.

Here's kind of a preview of where I'm at with it at the moment. I have the MagSafe portion completed and it's a perfect fit. The base needs some love because of the complex geometry of that recess:

I'll be asking $60 + shipping to start out. Let me know if you are interested!

Looks interesting. My only question is what happens if you accidentally close the shifter with it in there? Does the shifter know to sense resistance then stop and return?

 

[Hawsa]

Probably. I'm sure they thought through people leaving crap in there. I'll test it out and let you know. I'm not sure how frequent accidental folds will be since it's only when the car is on and in park that it works in the first place.

 

[Hawsa]

Looks interesting. My only question is what happens if you accidentally close the shifter with it in there? Does the shifter know to sense resistance then stop and return?

That's a yes.

 

[FrankThompson]

Probably. I'm sure they thought through people leaving crap in there. I'll test it out and let you know. I'm not sure how frequent accidental folds will be since it's only when the car is on and in park that it works in the first place.

Yup ,but as a person with kids..... crap happens ..... All. The. Damn. Time!

 

[FrankThompson]

That's a yes.

View attachment 61615

Nice! Thanks for testing that.

 

[casey_0507]

Is there a way to disable the shifter stowaway?
Sure you could remove a fuse but probably 10 other things on it.

 

[powerboatr]

i use the narrow slit cubby between the shifter and the cup holder sot hold my phone.
but i am weird and dont look at my phone while driving or use car play or android.

 

[Hawsa]

Is there a way to disable the shifter stowaway?
Sure you could remove a fuse but probably 10 other things on it.

I would guess there is a line you could snip or unplug from the button. I wouldn't pull a fuse though as there is a nice slip-up catch where the truck will auto-shift into park if you turn the motor off while not in park.

 

[Hawsa]

i use the narrow slit cubby between the shifter and the cup holder sot hold my phone.
but i am weird and dont look at my phone while driving or use car play or android.

That definitely makes you an outlier haha. The only useful thing I've found for that slit is to use it as a pen holder.

 

[powerboatr]

That definitely makes you an outlier haha. The only useful thing I've found for that slit is to use it as a pen holder.

it has held a few whata burger straws to

cant remember when i folded down the shifter last. did stop using the wireless charging pad as it makes my phone into a very hot potatoe

 

[JediNut]

Would the power cord for the magsafe just run into the USB under the entertainment console? Like powerboatr said, I usually just put mine in the slot next to the shifter, but I like your solution. I found that with my old iPhone X, that the wireless charging doesn't work well when using the car for GPS. The phone gets hot and doesn't charge fast enough. Does the magsafe charger work well when you are using your phone for GPS, Carplay, Spotify, etc on long trips?

 

[JediNut]

I'll be asking $60 + shipping to start out. Let me know if you are interested!

I saw someone else touting the one you have the photo of in your original post. I sure like yours better, because I don't want to give up a cupholder! Supposedly, there is a way to hide the wiring for the one that I don't think is possible going from the Handle recess... unless you want to drill.

Have you given any more thought about making some of these available?

 

[Hawsa]

Missed your first reply! Yes I'm still planning on making them available. Luckily there is a removable cover for a console bolt in the shifter recess meaning no drilling required to run a wire out. Whether to the under screen area or into your center console you shouldn't have too much fuss. I have just about finalized the first usable version. And will continue to refine it. One thing nice about using an Apple MagSafe puck is the charging speed is maxed only limited by your input source.

 

[{tpc}]

WeatherTech makes a cup phone holder for like 30-50 bucks? I use mine all the time, but yes it eats a cup spot.

Sponsored