McKesh Mirror strap noise-Fixes?

[Piggy Bank]

Hi,
We recently upgraded to a 25 RBT Flying Cloud from a 22 Sport. With the Sport the clip on plastic tow mirrors were OK. They were not wide enough for full rear visibility with the 25 since it's wider. We purchased some McKesh mirrors and spot mirrors from the Hensley website.

We like the McKesh mirrors very much. The visibility is just what we were looking for, especially with the spot mirrors. Only issue is some strap vibration noise, especially from the passenger door mirror strap. (Note the passenger door strap winds further away from the door surface due to the way the turnkey/click lock fits in at the top of the mirrors for adjustability).

What EXACTLY have users done to help with this noise? I have read some comments on a search about affixing foam, cable ties, etc, but I am not completely sure on what exactly to do. We have a rather long trip in a few weeks and I would like to resolve this before if possible.

Please help, and pictures all the better.

(If it matters, TV is a Tundra)

Thanks.

[gator.bigfoot]

I have the same issue with Canoe straps. To avoid the noise I just twist the straps and then tighten them. When they are round verses flat they don't vibrate.

[Overloaded]

Get the Tundra tow mirrors cheapest place might be e bay. Easy enough to install. Just make sure new mirrors have at least the same options as the originals. Power, heated, lights these sorts of options

[Mollysdad]

+1 on twist.
Boaters learned long ago that the bimini straps vibrate in the wind, so they put a twist in them to defeat the vibration.

[Tim A.]

Having long used McKesh mirrors, we have pads of closed cell foam glued to magnetic sign material. The magnetic side is towards the vehicle door and the padding is against the mirror strap. The magnetic material holds the pads in place while tightening the straps and makes removable easy. The pads need to be thick enough to push against the straps.

We came to this solution after the vibrating and humming straps damaged door paint years ago.

Tim

[mimiandrews]

A wad of upholstery foam jammed between the strap and the door will quiet most of it. Mine stayed in with friction alone, but I was jamming 2" foam into approximately 1" of space.

[YippieKiYa]

I've used the twisting trick, too. Another trick is to tape a piece of pipe insulation (the slitted type you put around copper pipe) around the strap. It defeats the airflow that causes the oscillation. "Pool noodles" work well for big straps in a pick-up bed. The oldest uses that trick with his motorcycles when they're strapped into a bed or on a trailer. Cheap and easy; easily replaced if needed.

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by Overloaded

Get the Tundra tow mirrors cheapest place might be e bay. Easy enough to install. Just make sure new mirrors have at least the same options as the originals. Power, heated, lights these sorts of options

We already purchased the McKesh and will be using them. We looked at the Tundra mirrors but they were both expensive and secondly wider than I wanted to manage for something permanent that would be present every day.

Wish that the Tundra mirrors weren't so spendy and weren't so big. Right now I don't have to fold my mirrors to park in my garage. With the Tundra tow mirrors I would have to do that.

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by Tim A.

Having long used McKesh mirrors, we have pads of closed cell foam glued to magnetic sign material. The magnetic side is towards the vehicle door and the padding is against the mirror strap. The magnetic material holds the pads in place while tightening the straps and makes removable easy. The pads need to be thick enough to push against the straps.

We came to this solution after the vibrating and humming straps damaged door paint years ago.

Tim

Tim,
Did you have paint damage on passenger side door or both? I ask because it appears that we are only having excess vibration on the passenger door.

Wondering if I need to address both doors.

Thanks,

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by mimiandrews

A wad of upholstery foam jammed between the strap and the door will quiet most of it. Mine stayed in with friction alone, but I was jamming 2" foam into approximately 1" of space.

Thanks for letting me know how much foam to use.

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by YippieKiYa

I've used the twisting trick, too. Another trick is to tape a piece of pipe insulation (the slitted type you put around copper pipe) around the strap. It defeats the airflow that causes the oscillation. "Pool noodles" work well for big straps in a pick-up bed. The oldest uses that trick with his motorcycles when they're strapped into a bed or on a trailer. Cheap and easy; easily replaced if needed.

Thanks I can probably grab some pipe insulation at work.

[Piggy Bank]

Gator and Molly's Dad,
We tried the twist last weekend and it helped a whole lot, but didn't totally eliminate the problem.

I think that I will have to do more.

[Tim A.]

Originally Posted by Piggy Bank

Tim,
Did you have paint damage on passenger side door or both? I ask because it appears that we are only having excess vibration on the passenger door.

Wondering if I need to address both doors.

Thanks,

In our case, it was both doors. We have used various models of Jeep Grand Cherokee to tow our 2002 19' and the paint damage was only on the first. All of them have had places on the doors where the strap is not directly against the door metal and that is where the vibration occurs without the padding. Our foam pads are 1" thick at the thickest, but are closed cell foam and don't compress much.

I think I should add that we love our McKesh mirrors.

Tim

[MelGoddard]

Twisting works!

[m.hony]

The Tundra OE style extending/telescoping tow mirrors are $175 for the pair on Amazon.
They were $115 each from discountautomirrors.com when I ordered mine in 2011.
The OE lights fit into the aftermarket mirrors when they need to be replaced.

[guskmg]

If twisting does not completely work. Try reversing the twist. That produces a different air flow around the strap.
guskmg

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by guskmg

If twisting does not completely work. Try reversing the twist. That produces a different air flow around the strap.
guskmg

A-ha! Thanks

[Piggy Bank]

Thanks to all who posted with ideas.

I took the foam idea and was going to use some pipe insulation, but then at the last minute also grabbed a couple of those flat fold can cookies.

Put two of those between the strap and the door. No strap noise.

Those worked perfectly and no worries about any black rubber marking up the car paint.

PS these mirrors are really great. Husband says that the convex spots are really REALLY great. We got them for both sides.

[MrUKToad]

I opted for a foam pad between the strap and the car door. I used a section of float from an old child's flotation vest, but pipe insulation will work as well. I kept losing the pads so I've employed a couple of Kirby grips to hold them in place. Cheap? Me?

[Whizzo]

I found that small Velcro ties, looped around the upper and lower segments of the strap, stopped the vibration. I leave them on all the time.