My name’s Eric. I’ve been a part of IH8Mud for 20 years now. In that time I’ve owned a diesel BJ60 I bought on
eBay and imported from Canada into the US (and then sold here on Mud), a triple locked poverty package 80-series beater, and currently an ’06 100 that’s my daily driver. Here’s me standing on the roof of my old 60 out on a dirt track at the research ranch I worked at in New Mexico back in ’07.
Here on Mud, I’ve always been more of a reader than a poster. Now I’d like to try to give back by making stuff for our trucks. To that end, I’m applying my 3d printing, 3d scanning, and CAD hobby to Land Cruiser products, specifically “OEM+” interior parts.
I formed a company called Open Cruiser Design in February, I got my website and Shopify set up a few weeks ago. Today, I’m finally ready to launch. (I still need to get right with the Mud admins regarding supporting vendor status – if anyone knows how to do that please let me know.)
I have a product roadmap full of ambitious projects, but I think it makes much more sense to start small with a more modest offering.
An AHC Ram Mount. Two pieces. M5 bolts included. 3d printed in black ASA, which is like the ABS plastic used throughout the interiors of most vehicles, but less toxic to print and more UV resistant. Temperature stable up to any temp a car dashboard could reach in direct sunlight.
$50 shipped. $65 with RAM mount included (B-size ball). Currently available at:
AHC Mount for Toyota Land Cruiser LC100 & Lexus LX470 | RAM Compatible - https://opencruiserdesign.com/products/ahc-mount-100
Several others make similar products. Our own BenCC, Cruiser Design & Manufacturing, and possibly others I’m not aware of. I designed mine to replace the Cruiser Design & Manufacturing part I’ve had in my 100 for the past couple of years. I wasn’t happy with the amount of wobble it had and I felt I could do better both in terms of a clean look and firm lockup.
In contrast to CDM’s product, mine has a retention plate that rotates and locks into place with an M5 bolt. This holds the mount firmly in place. In contrast to Ben’s product, which I haven’t handled in person so I’m just going by his renders, mine can be installed or removed without removing the center console (provided you have the coin tray – the coin tray is easily removable by hand or with a spudger on my 100, but if you’re deleting your AHC you’ll need to remove the center console anyway to gain access to the AHC button to take it out). That said, Ben's probably supports more weight if you're looking to mount a laptop or something large and heavy. Mine will work fine for a phone, iPad, or anything RAM's B-size balls are rated for.
A note on competition versus cooperation... Mud is a community. We have loyalty to our members who build and sell things that make our trucks better. So I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Ben, in particular, was the first guy to 3d print commercial products for the 100 series and he definitely has the most extensive catalogue.
But I think we also understand that it benefits us all when more than one business makes products in the same category. Gamiviti, FrontRunner, Dissent, Prinsu, ARB, and more can all make roof racks, for example, and the variety of designs and competition to improve are part of what makes the Land Cruiser world so vibrant.
Many of the products I’m working on have no equivalent on the market. Most of the rest are substantially different from Ben’s, or CDM’s, or the other aftermarket manufacturers out there. Of course, there will be some overlap – I’m pretty sure everyone with a 3d printer makes a cupholder for their car! But I intend to only release products that offer something unique and set my company apart.
Let me know what you think. Make suggestions. Request products. Or PM me for custom work.
-Eric
- but I applied some sandpaper to face of my OEM blanking panel, sanded the back of a diamond-mount to match the curve, and applied it with 3M VHB tape. I find that the blanking panel holds a Ram X-mount + iPhone just fine, even offroad.