Insert gmap into existing DOM element

I've been struggling with this for a while now, and can't figure it out. I'm trying to use an existing DOM element as my map container (vs. using the theme('gmap') function which outputs the div container for you). I've tried adding the raw jquery.Extend('gmap'..... code from theme('gmap'), using an existing div ID, into an onload function, with no success. Has anyone successfully been able to insert a gmap into an existing DOM element?