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Subject Topic: Towing Mirrors don`t help (help!)
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27/6/2020 at 11:10am
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Abbey Expression 500L
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Hi all

Like the good newbie I am, I bought towing mirrors and checked they were the right ones for my car (Vauxhall Zafira). Fitted them. But they don't actually do anything - other than make me look the part!

What I mean is if I place the cars' mirrors in a position where I can see down the side of the car and down the side of the van - then the towing mirrors are angled too far out and don't show the van at all (just the 0.5 metre of air to either side of the van and that's only if I push my chair back or lean out the window). If I move/angle the cars' own mirrors in a bit so I can see the van in the towing mirrors - what is shown is not really of any help - it's a super cropped reflection of the car and the van but you can't see the kerb or vehicles. The towing mirrors themselves are fixed and don't have any moving parts.

So what is happening? Is the van so narrow (she is 2.21m wide) that she is not showing in the towing mirrors? I am too short - I sit fairly far forwards in my car. When I moved my seat back to where I could make use of the towing mirrors I couldn't reach the car pedals! Maybe towing mirrors are really made for long legged men! Are my towing mirrors just a bit rubbish! Does it really matter? I can just whack them on for legality but just use my car mirrors? Am I missing something? (Many things probably!).

Thanks
Katy


27/6/2020 at 12:25pm
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You haven't told us what make of mirror they are.

-------------
XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.


27/6/2020 at 12:44pm
 Location: London
 Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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At risk of stating the bleeding obvious, sorry for that! What you are aiming for is a similar sort of view of the caravan (in the towing mirrors) as you would normally have of your car (in the car mirrors), ie. just a hint of caravan on the inner edge reflection and the road/vehicles beside and rearward of van, you ideally need a hint of van in the view to give you 'relationship' to any vehicles nearby, without a glimpse of van you tend to lose your/their relative positioning.

Beyond the legalities bit, think you will find you will need the towing mirrors as the van will obstruct some of your rear view in the car mirrors (and you have already lost the use of your interior mirror, so door mirrors are vital!!!), and as you need to judge your manoeuvrers even more carefully towing the van and you are a lot slower to carry out manoeuvrers than just a solo car, you need as much help as you can get.

Your van is pretty much standard width, so it's all down to the mirrors, which if you can't get the correct adjustment, you may well deem 'rubbish'!

Never used your kind of mirrors, I guessing they are the kind that suction cup to the car mirror glass, which is why they have no independent adjustment. You should be able to get a sort of view required, but likely you'll have to sacrifice any meaningful reflection in your car mirrors to do so. It could be that if your driving position is very far forward, then there is not enough travel in car mirrors to position the towing mirrors to give you the necessary view of van/road.

I use Millenco mirrors that affix to the car mirror body, they have independent adjustment. I then adjust the car mirrors to a low view down side of caravan so I can judge proximity of van sides and/or wheels to roadside obstacles, hedges, kerbs etc., as van is wider than car, it helps to judge proximity to things you don't want the van to clip.


27/6/2020 at 1:21pm
 Location: East Herts
 Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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The mirrors I use are the strap-on type that go round the body of the car mirrors, so like the ones Monty uses they have their own independent adjustment. I also angle my car mirrors down slightly so that I can see the caravan wheels in my car mirrors, and past the caravan in my towing mirrors. I have had those towing mirrors for years, but I did have to change the straps last year for longer ones, as I bought them for my Volvo, and the X Trail I now have has bigger mirror casings so they wouldn't go round.


-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


via mobile 27/6/2020 at 2:51pm
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Abbey Expression 500L
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Thank you! It does sound like I have really rubbish mirrors then! And the far forward seating position is not helping. Mine are def not adjustable ... so that would really help. Thank you for the advice about where to point the car mirrors too.

I have been reading about the Millenco ones and it looked like a kind of ball & socket joint so I was assuming they were adjustable - weirdly in the blurb it did not say anything. So thank you for confirming this.

So I will do a bit of research and get some new adjustable towing mirrors - the van is now on her seasonal pitch so I will not “need” to tow her again until I get this sorted.

As always, I knew you guys would have the answers. Thank you again.
Katy


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27/6/2020 at 3:13pm
 Location: East Herts
 Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Glad to be of help Katy. The mirrors I use are very reasonably priced and have served me well for years, although I know there are some on here that don't like them. Can't see any problem at all with them personally, although maybe there are some cars they don't work well on, but I can't see why. Mine have worked well on a Volvo V70, a Hyundai Tucson, and now a 2008 Nissan X Trail. I'm a little bit wary of the ones that screw (clamp) onto the top of the mirror casings, they always look to me like they could fall off or get knocked off. The ones I use strap right round the car mirror casings and are very firm. Fully adjustable, and a good view too, as they have a nice big mirror head. Being a former coach driver I like nice big mirrors.



-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


27/6/2020 at 7:14pm
 Location: Aberdeen
 Outfit: Coachman Pastiche 460 VW Tiguan Moti
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Just a small video on towing morrors Colion 21 my mirrors screw onto the top of the car mirror casing but also have a strap that goes round.

-------------
Robert (BoB)


27/6/2020 at 8:58pm
 Location: East Herts
 Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Quote: Originally posted by bobmel on 27/6/2020
Just a small video on towing morrors Colion 21 my mirrors screw onto the top of the car mirror casing but also have a strap that goes round.



Sounds like the best of both worlds then. Must admit, I've never actually seen mirrors with both clamps and straps.



-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


via mobile 28/6/2020 at 10:19am
 Location: Hatfield Peverel Essex
 Outfit: Ace Supreme Twinstar Disco 3
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And mine go one better than that, Colin.
They have the straps, screw on clamps and an elasticated loop so that if the straps and the screws fail the mirror will drop down on the loop, swing around and presumably leave a huge dent in the door!!
DaveS1


via mobile 28/6/2020 at 10:33am
 Location: Shropshire
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We use Milenco Aeros. We have had them for years. They clamp on the mirror case.
On our Santa Fe they go on the bottom as the gap at the top is too small, previous Kia on top.
They ae stable and give a good view. You can get Grand Aero which some may prefer being big.

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DS-There's more to life than football!!!


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28/6/2020 at 10:59am
 Location: Liverpool
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We use the ‘Rock Steady’ towing mirrors from Towsure and they work very well, are not too expensive and are independently adjustable from the car mirror. I am just over 5 foot tall so I have the car seat very far forward when I am driving and they are fine for me.

-------------
Pixie


via mobile 28/6/2020 at 1:10pm
 Location: Lancashire
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I’d recommend Millenco grand aero I’ve been using them for years, if you look on Facebook market place you can usually pick them Up second hand for around £20 I think they are about £65 new, I bought a pair yesterday to replace one that I broke by accident

Bessie


28/6/2020 at 1:31pm
 Location: London
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Quote: Originally posted by bessie500 on 28/6/2020
I’d recommend Millenco grand aero I’ve been using them for years, if you look on Facebook market place you can usually pick them Up second hand for around £20 I think they are about £65 new, I bought a pair yesterday to replace one that I broke by accident

Bessie



I got mine off fleabay for about £20.

Great thing about Millenco mirrors is that just about every component is available as a spare/replacement part, so if you lose or break anything, you only have the cost of a spare part, not a complete new mirror to buy.

They are also so adaptable they fit just about every car, so you can keep on using them if you change cars.


28/6/2020 at 1:50pm
 Location: East Herts
 Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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My Maypole strap-on mirrors have been used on three cars so far. Must admit though I did have to get some longer straps for my X Trail as it has bigger mirror casings than the previous two. They only cost peanuts off ebay though. I paid less than £20 for the pair of mirrors, but I can't remember exactly how much as I've had them a few years now. Only problem I've had with them in the time I've had them is having to get longer straps to fit the X Trail.


-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


via mobile 28/6/2020 at 2:58pm
 Location: Lancashire
 Outfit:  Volvo X60 Coachman
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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 28/6/2020
Quote: Originally posted by bessie500 on 28/6/2020
I’d recommend Millenco grand aero I’ve been using them for years, if you look on Facebook market place you can usually pick them Up second hand for around £20 I think they are about £65 new, I bought a pair yesterday to replace one that I broke by accident

Bessie



I got mine off fleabay for about £20.

Great thing about Millenco mirrors is that just about every component is available as a spare/replacement part, so if you lose or break anything, you only have the cost of a spare part, not a complete new mirror to buy.

They are also so adaptable they fit just about every car, so you can keep on using them if you change cars.



A replacement mirror on eBay is £15 I paid £20 I now have 2 arms a spare mirror and bag to put them in

Bessie



29/6/2020 at 8:14am
 Location:  lincolnshire
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Mine are same as 664DaveS i find they are brilliant on my volkswagen tiguan



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