Make Your Own GPS Sunshade

My truck didn't come with a built-in gps so I added a Garmin gps that sits on top of the dash. Sometimes the sun tends to wash out the display, so I needed something to shade the screen. I found some sun shades on Amazon, but unfortunately none of them were made for my particular model. So....I decided to make my own.

Making this shade required very few supplies. I used the following:

• 1/8th thick black kydex plastic (kydex is a fairly easy plastic to mold using heat)
• scrap lumber
• a small length of round stretchable cord (I used elastic)
• silicone glue
• paper to make a pattern

Tools used were:

• heat gun
• drill & bit
• band saw (you could use a manual saw)
• sandpaper
• blue painter's tape

The first thing to do is make a wooden mold that reflects the outside dimensions of the shade you are making. I measured my Garmin gps and used those dimensions for the height and width, and made the depth to reflect the depth I wanted from the sun shield.

Wrap a piece of paper around the wooden mold and mark it to reflect the shape you want your sun shield to take. I decided I would need three tabs at the back (behind the gps) to help hold it in place, so I included these tabs in the pattern.

Trace the paper pattern onto the kydex. I used blue painter's tape so I could see the lines on the black plastic. Then use a saw and cut the pattern out of the kydex. I used a band saw, but I suppose you could use a small handsaw or jigsaw. After cutting the kydex, sand all edges smooth.

This step is where your wooden mold is critical. I started with the long tab at the top of the back. I clamped the kydex to the top of the mold (centered on the mold) with a piece of scrap wood, then heated the tab with a heat gun until it was pliable. I then used another piece of scrap wood to bend it down (against the back) and held it there for about a minute until it was cool enough for the plastic to set. It's important to bend it into place with a flat piece of wood (rather than your fingers), because you want the bend to be clean and straight. Plus, the heated kydex will burn you!

Next I formed the side pieces in similar fashion, then the two tabs for the back. When the forming is completed, the shade should look similar to the last photo. Remember, it's important to make all your bends clean and straight -- that's why using flat pieces of wood and clamps to do the bending is important.

You will need two rails (one on each side) to make a channel for the gps to slide into. I made these rails from kydex. I used a scrap piece of wood and molded them around a 90 degree corner to form them.

At this point you're ready to place your gps into the kydex frame and determine where to place these rails. You want the gps to slide in a bit snug. I marked where these would be mounted, then used silicon adhesive to glue them into place. I let the adhesive cure overnight.

You will use the stretchable cord to add a little tension to the sides (you want the sides to be under a little tension inward so they will not spread out) -- not a lot of tension, just a little will do. I drilled a hole in each of the small tabs at the back and attached the cord to these holes.

The final step is to slide your gps into the frame you just built and install it in your vehicle using whatever mount you wish to use.

This is actually a very easy project. I think I spent less than 2 hours from start to finish. It probably helped that I have a bit of experience using kydex, but if you make all your bends carefully it's not difficult at all.