Last fall, my wife actually managed to crack the RAM handlebar mount which held her Magellan Meridian Platinum. The damage is shown in the photo to the left. Thishappened during our vacation at Anza Borrego. It broke while she was pounding (or getting pounded by) the downhill shown below on the right. See the people in the photo? Those are park rangers moving boulders so they can take their 4WD up the "road!"
RAM mounts have a reputation for being very tough, and they come with a lifetime warranty, so when we returned, I sent them an email explaining the problem. I got no response, so after a few days, I called them. It was after hours (I'm on the west coast) and I got their voice mail. I left a message, but still received no response. Now I was getting frustrated. I finally managed to call during business hours and they gave me an email address and said send a digital photo if possible. I did and, while I got no reply, five days later a new handlebar mounting bracket showed up in the mail. All's well that ends well.
RAM mounts are great and I have no complaints. I'm not sure I've ever even heard of one breaking before. But sometimes a RAM mount is overkill. They can be fairly bulky. I have one for my Garmin 60CS on my bike, but the mount in my car is a Garmin windshield suction cup mount. RAM mounts are great for where you need something fairly rugged, like on a mountain bike, ATV or 4WD. Still, Garmin's eTrex bicycle mount worked great for my old eTrex Venture. I suggest finding a discussion board for your make of GPS and asking there before making a purchase.
If you do decide to buy a RAM mount, you may find their catalog confusing. These are component mounts, and you'll likely be selecting a couple of different items. I've found it easier to identify the proper components at GPSCity, so you may want to check there.
I know they seem like overkill sometimes, but I love mine. I've found it to be the best mount solution for my Lowrance H2O in my pickup. Interesting review on the customer service. Glad they came through for you!
GPSOkie
http://gpsokie.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Steven Ables | January 14, 2006 at 12:04 AM
I have also a GPS ram mount for a motorbike
There is a design problem of the little plastic and rubber holders that break easily
I emailed to them but the reply I got is :
- send a picture
- and send your credit card number to charge the post !
So dont buy RAM mounts
Posted by: ivanko | February 23, 2009 at 01:49 PM
I had to exchange a broken one once. It took a while to find a contact number that got me through to someone, but then they replaced it right away. I think I sent a photo, but don't recall being charged for shipping.
Posted by: Rich Owings | February 24, 2009 at 08:54 AM