GPS trackers can be an enormously useful tool for tracking a stolen car and a wonderful way to track the people you love, but it’s almost never a good idea to install them in a conspicuous place. After all, you don’t want a car thief to find your tracker and disable it. You don’t want a rebellious teen to be able to defeat your GPS monitoring system, and you may not want an elderly parent in cognitive decline to know you monitor their movements.
Even if you trust the people, you let drive your car, every GPS tracker needs to be hidden. In this article, we will tell you about the best places for your GPS device. We will start with places to hide the tracking unit when you don’t want other drivers to know it is there.
Under the Car
Even though it is easy for anyone to access the bottom of your car, the undercarriage of your car is a place most people won’t think to look for a GPS tracking device. A tracker with a magnetized casing will stick to the undercarriage and still give you a great signal. You just need to be sure to protect it from rain, snow, and road chemicals.
Inside the Dashboard
Do you know how to open your dashboard? If you do, it is the best place to conceal a GPS transmitter. It won’t be easy for the driver to find it, and it will be close enough to the windshield and windows that it still picks up signals from GPS satellites orbiting overhead.
Behind the Back Seat
If your car has a foldable armrest in the middle of the back seat, there will usually be a space behind the arm rest where no one will find your GPS tracking device unless they put their hand deep behind the seat.
Inside the Trunk
Place your GPS tracker at the top of the inner side of the trunk, just behind the back seats. To get better reception, attach the tracker to any kind of wiring (for example, speaker wires) with duct tape.
Inside the Plastic or Fiberglass Cover of the Bumper
When you don’t have access to the interior of a car, an obvious location to place a GPS monitor is inside the bumper. The problem with placing a GPS monitor inside a bumper is that old-style metal bumpers can interfere with the GPS signal, so they aren’t the best location for your tracking unit.
Newer models, however, make bumpers a good place for hiding GPS tracking units. Newer bumpers come with a layer of fiberglass or plastic covering the bumper. Putting the tracking unit between the fiberglass or plastic cover and the metal beneath gives you both good concealment and good reception.
The rear and front bumper work equally well.
Inside the Brake Lights
If you know how to remove the cover of your brake lights, you can easily attach a GPS tracking unit. The plastic material in the brake light cover does not interfere with the GPS signal, and it should get great reception. If the brake lights are broken or must come off, however, the tracking device will be discovered.
Inside a Car Seat Cushion
Sew a GPS tracker inside the back of a front seat cushion, on the side of the seat cushion nearest the center of the car. Or sew a GPS tracker in the front of a back seat cushion, once again, on the side of the seat cushion nearest the center of the car. This method of concealment takes a little effort, but it is highly unlikely that any driver will think to look for it there.
Inside a Sun Visor
If you are primarily interested in protecting your vehicle against theft, place your tracking device inside the sun visor on the passenger side. This is a wonderful place for signal reception and transmission, although it would be easy for someone to discover the device.
Behind the Glove Compartment
Remove the glove compartment, install the tracking device, and put the glove compartment back in place. You may not get as strong a signal from the device, but it is unlikely to be detected.
Above the Accelerator and Brake Pedals
Look for a niche just above the foot pedals on the driver’s side of the vehicle. If you have a space here, both installing and removing the tracking device will be extremely easy.
Some Tips to Remember About Concealing Your GPS Tracking Device
When you are hiding a GPS tracking device, it is important to remember:
Don’t place a GPS tracking device between the front seats. It is too easy to discover.
When you are concealing a GPS device underneath your car, make sure you have it as far to the side of the undercarriage as possible. The antenna should point downward.
Don’t place the GPS tracker under the hood or in the front grill. Heat from the engine will cause it to malfunction.
Don’t conceal a GPS tracking device under the driver’s seat. It can interact with the driver’s cell phone and lose its signal or, worse, cause interference that leads to its detection.
At iTracker, we are here to help you find the GPS tracking solution that best meets your needs. Contact us online or call us for a free quote.
