Taco Garage Dashtop Multi-Mount Review

It has always perplexed me how automobile companies still neglect to include phone mounts in their interior designs.

Virtually every driver these days has a cell phone that they use for GPS, music, etc. and vehicles should accommodate that. We do not, however, live in a perfect world, so we are stuck trying to find an aftermarket product to mount our accessories.

After buying my 3rd Gen Tacoma, I found out pretty quickly that I needed some type of mounting system for my phone and other accessories. In previous vehicles I owned, I was able to use a typical mount design that can be found at almost any store. On the Tacoma, the cookie-cutter mounts available were just not a great solution.

Different Options

While searching for mounting options for the Tacoma, I came across a few different good designs.

Hondo Garage

The Hondo Garage vent mounts seemed like a simple, easy mounting solution, but I didn’t really like how it covered the vents and limits you to only 4 mounting points. Don’t count Hondo out completely though. They do make some pretty rad universal phone and tablet mounts.

Expedition Essentials

The Expedition Essentials mount was another cool option that comes with an extra fast USB charger. The two things that deterred me from the Expedition Essentials solution were the price and aesthetics. I wanted something a little less bulky that would not break the bank.

There are also a few clever 3D-printed designs but I wanted something solid that looked like it belonged in the interior.

Then I came across The Taco Garage’s Dashtop Multi-Mount (DMM).

Dashtop Multi-Mount (DMM)

The Dashtop Multi-Mount is a low-profile mounting solution that seamlessly fits into the Tacoma’s dash design.

The DMM, in essence, is just a series of aluminum bars that fit perfectly into the nook on the top of and under the backside of the Tacoma’s dash trim. When you do not have anything mounted to the DMM, it’s virtually invisible and does not modify the look of your interior at all.

Configurations

There are a few purchase options on The Taco Garage’s website.

You can buy the DMM alone (just the aluminum bar) if you already have RAM or Arkon mounts.

This gets you everything you need to integrate the DMM into your dashboard. Their website also offers different combo deals that include an Arkon Slim Grip or magnetic phone mount and the ball(s) to screw into the DMM and mount the accessories.

Compatible Parts & Products

• The Taco Garage Dashtop Multi-Mount: Check Price
• Arkon Slim Grip: Check Price
• Arkon Slim Grip Kit: Check Price
• Magnetic Phone Mount: Check Price
• Ram Mount with Socket Arm: Check Price
• 1″ Ball for DDM: Check Price

Arkon Slim Grip Mount

I went with the “DMM + 1 Slim-Grip Holder” option which gave me the DMM, the Arkon phone/small tablet mount, and one ball mount. The Arkon mount has been awesome for me. It’s very sturdy and locks solidly into your preferred position.

The Arkon mount is a great mounting solution because it provides almost endless adjustability.

It uses two ball mounts and an extender which allows you to adjust the mount in basically any direction. I like to keep my Arkon mount firmly in place, but you have the ability to loosen it slightly if you want your mount to be a little more dynamic.

Though the Arkon mount is solid, it has been noisy when driving on bumpy roads without a phone or tablet in the mount. I plan to attempt fixing this by finding a small rubber gasket to put at the bottom of the mounting ball. I am hoping that it will help to absorb some of the vibrations that are getting to the Arkon mount.

Overall, this isn’t much of an issue because there aren’t many times that I drive without a phone in the mount; I have just been noticing it when driving short distances without my phone in the mount.

Install Overview

Installation of the DMM is pretty straight-forward but does require drilling into the dash trim. TheTacoGarage has a good install video, but I’ll give a high-level overview of the install.

Luckily, removing the dash trim is a very trivial task. All you have to do is pull the trim near the vent to the right of the head unit and the full trim piece will pop off.

Once you have the trim piece off, you remove the two air vents (two clips each) from the backside of the trim piece. You then line up the top piece of the DMM with the top of the trim piece and clamp it down.

Next, you need to drill out the holes for both the screws to attach the DMM and the ones used by the mounting accessories. This should be done with a #10 drill bit, NOT a 10mm bit.

Finally, you bolt on the bottom plates of the DMM using the flush-mount screws provided with the DMM. Once you have the top and bottom plates of the DMM bolted to the trim, you can put the vents back onto the trim piece and put the trim piece back onto the dashboard.

Check the video out below for an in-depth install.

Video Installation

Features

One great design aspect of the DMM that contributes to its seamless design is the screws that sit flush with the DMM. These screws are completely flat on top and are designed to sink into the aluminum when bolted down on the underside, providing a smooth top surface for the DMM.

Another cool aspect of the DMM is the cutouts for wiring. During installation, you can use a Dremel to cut the dash trim to match the wire cutouts on the DMM so you can run wires behind the head unit/dash trim to your phone. I personally didn’t take advantage of this feature, but I will as I get more accessories mounted.

The DMM provides six mounting holes which could theoretically enable you to mount six different accessories to your dash. I personally wouldn’t want that much clutter, but it’s nice to have six different mounting positions for the few accessories I would use.

Final Thoughts

TheTacoGarage’s Dashtop Multi-Mount (DMM) is, in my opinion, the cleanest and most versatile accessory mounting solution for the 3rd Gen Tacoma. It provides multiple mounting positions that will accommodate a wide range of mounting accessories while non-invasively integrating with your dashboard.

I believe it is the best mounting option on the market at a very reasonable price. I would definitely recommend the DMM to 3rd Gen Tacoma owners looking for a clean accessory mounting solution.