Center Console Upgrade

[Will Derness]

My Tacoma has a center console with a cushioned top which opens to reveal the storage box. The cushioned top's surface is some type of plastic that I find irritating to my skin, especially on long drives.

My solution - I poached a spare "Mouse Rug" from the laptop we rarely use. The "Mouse Rug" is a miniature Persian rug, that has a smooth woven feel to it, nice against bare skin. 4 squares of adhesive Velcro and it stays put when opening the top.

 

[Guest]

My Tacoma has a center console with a cushioned top which opens to reveal the storage box. The cushioned top's surface is some type of plastic that I find irritating to my skin, especially on long drives.

My solution - I poached a spare "Mouse Rug" from the laptop we rarely use. The "Mouse Rug" is a miniature Persian rug, that has a smooth woven feel to it, nice against bare skin. 4 squares of adhesive Velcro and it stays put when opening the top.

Welcome to the wonderful world of wussy Taco owners. I don’t like the vinyl cover on that center console/arm rest either. I don’t much mind the cold in winter, but it is horrible in hot weather (I rarely use the truck AC).

The lid could be baking sheet hot at first contact and when I rested my arm there while driving on a hot summer day I practically had to peel my stuck skin off to fee my arm. I just drape a black terrycloth hand towel over the top, but I like your always there magic carpet ride solution.

Much as I hate to admit it that is a third good Willie idea. I will trade you two lame camels and a broken hooka for it.

 

[Chip]

I've been driving Tacos with center consoles since 2002, over a quarter million miles worth, and have never had any discomfort from the cover on the console. I guess my membership to the wussy Taco owners club is still pending.

That said, since you are gooing up that fine vinyl finish with adhesive velcro, why not just goo it up with two-sided carpet tape? While preparing to cover the floats on my 2015 KSR entry with fabric, I experimented with a half dozen different adhesives. The thing that held the fabric on best was two-sided carpet tape. It is very thin, less than 1/32", and very sticky. I just know the bump in Willie's rug caused by having velcro underneath is going to cause pressure sores on his elbow. Don't let that happen to you!

 

[Guest]

I've been driving Tacos with center consoles since 2002, over a quarter million miles worth, and have never had any discomfort from the cover on the console. I guess my membership to the wussy Taco owners club is still pending.

That said, since you are gooing up that fine vinyl finish with adhesive velcro, why not just goo it up with two-sided carpet tape. While preparing to cover the floats on my 2015 KSR entry with fabric, I experimented with a half dozen different adhesives. The thing that held the fabric on best was two-sided carpet tape. It is very thin, less than 1/32", and very sticky. I just know the bump in Willie's rug caused by having velcro underneath is going to cause pressure sores on his elbow. Don't let that happen to you!

My 80’s long bed Toy had no center arm rest, or much else in the way of creature comforts. My 90’s extra cab had a nice non-sticky cloth center armrest which never bothered me, but I was made of tougher stuff back then. The vinyl center console/armrest is comfy enough cushion wise, but sticky in summer temps. YMMV if you use the air conditioner.

Wait a minute, my memory is suspect at best, but didn’t you remove that center console unit entirely?

I like the carpet tape idea. I’ll have to take a photo of my interior color matching mouse rug when it arrives.

 

[Odyssey]

A magic carpet console.

 

[latremorej]

You guys are going about it all wrong! Just use a nylon ditty bag sized to fit over the whole thing and pull the draw cord right around the rear hinge. Make a small cut out for the latch.
Heck, sew a custom fleece bag up out of an old sweater or something. I'm surprised that any adhesive sticks to the vinyl down there in those summer temps! Here on long island it's hot enough in the summer to make anything stuck down with Velcro, or any other temporary adhesive, to slide down the dash!

Jason

 

[DanOver]

PFFFT,,,,,, I only use finest silk for my center console rugs....

 

[Odyssey]

And under the magic Persian carpet is Aladdin's cave. I have nothing so fancy, just a plastic tray where I can pile my note papers and spill my coffee. And lose spare keys under the jumble and junk. A poofy leatherette lidded cave would be luxury. BTW, I had to google those Altoids we see peeking out of the cave. Never heard of them. I thought they were some kind of suppository or something, wondering what that must be like trying to do that while driving. And without removing the seatbelt? Ooooh breath mints, that makes way more sense. Unless of course. Never mind.

 

[Guest]

And under the magic Persian carpet is Aladdin's cave. I have nothing so fancy, just a plastic tray where I can pile my note papers and spill my coffee. And lose spare keys under the jumble and junk. A poofy leatherette lidded cave would be luxury. BTW, I had to google those Altoids we see peeking out of the cave. Never heard of them. I thought they were some kind of suppository or something,
Ooooh breath mints, that makes way more sense. Unless of course. Never mind.

With the state of the world today I imagine that someone has tried being minty fresh at both ends.

I installed a magic carpet ride atop my console armrest today, just in time for a long drive south.

I'm surprised that any adhesive sticks to the vinyl down there in those summer temps! Here on long island it's hot enough in the summer to make anything stuck down with Velcro, or any other temporary adhesive, to slide down the dash!

Good point. I have had tape and adhesive failures from stuff inside baking hot closed vehicles. I tried 6 little dots of Plumber’s Goop on the neoprene-ish rug bottom. I have that stuff on lots of gear and once it sets up for a few hours it doesn’t go goo even in extreme heat. Plus on vinyl I should be able to peel it off cleanly if need be.

I sense a photo opportunity for the contents of my console.

 

[Guest]

I sense a photo opportunity for the contents of my console.

 

[Odyssey]

You disappoint me Mike. That sidearm looks woefully unadorned. Completely devoid of any stripes and sex whatsoever.
Your membership is now under review.

 

[latremorej]

Marlboro lights!? C'mon man, Fireball and a revolver require Reds! Lol

Jason

 

[Will Derness]

I'm surprised that any adhesive sticks to the vinyl down there in those summer temps! Here on long island it's hot enough in the summer to make anything stuck down with Velcro, or any other temporary adhesive, to slide down the dash!

Prescient words. The hot summer sun of the Carolinas, softened the Velcro adhesive and the magic carpet began its ride. It has floated around the console top, staying put when the console is opened, but you cannot say it is held in place. The rug moves. And now.......

Center Console Upgrade, Version II. AKA Adventures in Adhesiveology

So I took the Persian carpet off, cleaned everything up with some isopropyl alcohol, and gave thought to using another gooey adhesive. But a more permanent attachment would make it a messy job to clean the rug. Rummaging around in one of my gear boxes I came across this off the shelf Velcro one wrap product.






I wonder if it will wrap the console top? Yes it does.




Time to clean all my mouse rugs before the install.





Thinking of dirty forearms on a summer day, the pattern in the middle seems the best choice for hiding dirt.







My Persian carpet is now securely in place, yet comes out for cleaning. Life is Good.

 

[Guest]

Marlboro lights!? C'mon man, Fireball and a revolver require Reds! Lol

I thought about buying a pack of Luckie’s or non-filter Camels for that photoshoot, and knew they would have paired better with the Fireball.

BTW, the Fireball (note unopened) is from a friend’s liquor cabinet. Finding that was a prop jackpot, but just touching it made my taste buds cringe.

Prescient words. The hot summer sun of the Carolinas, softened the Velcro adhesive and the magic carpet began its ride. It has floated around the console top, staying put when the console is opened, but you cannot say it is held in place.
Rummaging around in one of my gear boxes I came across this off the shelf Velcro one wrap product.

I dunno, that exposed Velcro strap seems awfully abrasive against your delicate fore (arm) skin. I see Velcro road rash. Best pack some of this beside the Altoids.

https://www.target.com/p/a-d-origina...w&gclsrc=aw.ds

The six little dots of Plumber’s Goop have held up well so far in 90F windows-closed baking sunlight. That stuff works around the perimeter of minicel pads and D-rings in my canoes, and I know the boats get arm-burning hot as heck atop the roof racks. I’m pretty sure I could just thumb rub that Goop off both vinyl surfaces if I peeled off the magic carpet for cleaning.

Thinking of dirty forearms on a summer day.

Me too. As a charter member of WTOC (Wussy Taco Owners Club) I still put the terrycloth hand towel atop the Magic Carpet for long rides. It grips nicely on the Magic carpet surface and Oh la la Cheri, nothing is so fine as plush, absorbent cotton on a hot summer’s day.

I occasionally launder that hand towel and use it to wipe condensation off the windows, clean up spills and when I’m at the X-rated drive in movies.

Your Taco still needs one of these to complete your membership application.

 

[latremorej]

Lol

"
I occasionally launder that hand towel and use it to wipe condensation off the windows, clean up spills and when I’m at the X-rated drive in movies."

I'll leave that one for someone else!

The plumbers goop is great stuff! I've never tried it in a truck dash though. I have had all sorts of cell phone and GPS holders come off the dash though.

Jason

 

[gumpus]

Behold the custom fit WetOkole console cover on my 4Runner. After living with the crummy armrest on my Subaru that was also destroyed by the coonhound I went first class. Not sure if they sell only the console cover but everything they make is custom fit for each vehicle. No chills or burns for my delicate paddling parts, and coonhound proof so far. My DIY role was begging the wide to order it and then also asking her to install it.

 

[gumpus]

Wife, not wide

 

[Guest]

Wife, not wide

Punctuation matters.

“Wife not wide” is what you respond when asked “Does this dress makes me look fat?”