Towing mirror: can see following cars directly behind the trailor?

[janabanana48]

Originally Posted by shockfly

Recently I bought a towing mirror: Amazon.com: Fit System 3891 Deluxe Universal Clip-on Trailer Towing Mirror: Automotive, I was expecting to use it to see the cars behind my 16' bambi.

LOL

I just linked to this Amazon advert, & if you put those mirrors on backwards as they show on the pic, then you cannot see anything beyond, behind, to the side ... well if your at the hood checking the oil - you could see behind you!

It's worth a click folks just for a giggle!

[Short563]

I have towed over 25,000 miles with my McKesh mirrors and am quite happy with them! Here is a link to their site:

McKesh Mirrors - Hensley Mfg., Inc.

[slowmover]

The size of mirror glass is central. Tall for the rear view and BIG convex for what is next to you. I drive 12k miles monthly in almost every conceivable condition. MyTV/TT is longer than that tractor-trailer but the mirror size discrepancy seems to be more about cosmetics than function. I changed my factory towing mirrors to a larger head replacement and will be adding BIG convex.

The "best" mirrors I have seen that should be on our vehicles are those on UHaul box vans or like the VELVAC 714579. Use these as reference. Tall and flat for distance and a quite large convex (6-8") for traffic next to you as guideline




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[moxie t. moto]

Originally Posted by cory_can

I disagree. When towing (in the right lane) cars will come up behind me and following cars too close. ast minute swoop past. Happens ALL THE TIME. If I'm preparing to pass a slow moving car in front (or need to avoid something) while this happens you wouldn't see the car coming (from rear) in your mirrors until it's too late. With the camera I can see these cars, their closing speed and movements.

It's not a distraction at all, it's more information and I'll have more information rather than less any day of the week.

A helpful hint!look for shadows behind your airstream ! Dead giveawaythat someone is behind you. Or following too close.

[cory_can]

Originally Posted by dan hartman

A helpful hint!look for shadows behind your airstream ! Dead giveawaythat someone is behind you. Or following too close.

Depends on where the SUN is.

[Wayne&Sam]

I don't use extension mirrors. I don't have a blind spot and I can reliable judge how far back a vehicle is before I pull in front of it using my stock mirrors.

I use the system from rvrearviewcamera.com


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[slowmover]

You've the same factory tow mirrors as me, I'll assume. The type that folds out and has a too-small convex for judging what is around one.

If nothing else, the mirror "point of convergence" is farther back than most realize. A backup camera is not a substitute.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have come up behind a combined RV rig on the Interstate, pulled out seven lengths back to pass, and found the driver surprised as I come up. I drive an average of 10-12k miles monthly.

Please let no one tell me about their "good habits" behind the wheel. Inferior equipment is just that. Large mirrors make movement of any sort more likely to be picked up by peripheral vision.

To anyone, look around at aftermarket offerings. Take your time. There is no substitute for [the right] size. Where lawsuits push design changes is where one ought to look. A little old UHAUL van-box has HUGE mirros. Are they needed? Hardly, by the reckoning of many. To drive such, though, reveals that superiority immediately.

The EAGLE ONE or McKESH mirrors are something I don't see often enough. I can say that the drivers with them rarely reveal any surprise (I can't remember any actually; drive an eighteen wheeler and you'll be aware of the bow wave effect on combined rigs and proceed warily. I'm well aware of your mirror size before I come abreast of you). How "good" they are or aren't at the wheel isn't significant.

Equipment matters. Take your time.

.

[Photobum]

I agree with Cory_Can. The Voyager camera is the cat's meow....I have two cameras, the wireless on my trailer, and the wired camera on my truck (for hitching). I can see traffic behind me, I know when I have actually passed someone and can pull over, and hitching up is a snap...

[acstokes]

Say if I bought a rear view camera, I don't need side mirror extension any more?

Any rear view camera you suggest? So you have a separate LCD to mount on the dash for the camera, right?

Side view mirrors just don't accomplish what you want to see and that's vehicles in the blind spot just behind your trailer. Furthermore, the ones that do enable you to see close behind stick out so far that going through toll booths are a danger to the money collectors.

If you have an iPhone 5 or 6, check out the one Wayne&Sam refers to in his post at rvrearviewcamera.com. There you can see a youtube video of the camera system in actual use.

Fred

[cory_can]

Originally Posted by shockfly

Say if I bought a rear view camera, I don't need side mirror extension any more?

Any rear view camera you suggest? So you have a separate LCD to mount on the dash for the camera, right?

No, I would always also have proper towing side mirrors.

The voyager system is excellent, I have a wireless display in the car that I just remove when I'm not using it.

Installed:



I use a an iOauto (magnetic) holder on a car specific double device ProClip mount to hold the display and my phone.

Kind of like this, but double mount bracket (not my car/picture).


Not my picture, but IOauto looks like this:

Originally Posted by acstokes

If you have an iPhone 5 or 6, check out the one Wayne&Sam refers to in his post at rvrearviewcamera.com. There you can see a youtube video of the camera system in actual use.

Fred

Interesting idea but I wouldn't want my phone dedicated to a task like that while I'm driving. It would also get quite hot if the display was running constantly for 4-5+ hour drives.

[acstokes]

I've driven 7-8 hours without it over heating. Also, it's not dedicated as you can still receive and place calls and messages.

Fred



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[cory_can]

Originally Posted by acstokes

I've driven 7-8 hours without it over heating. Also, it's not dedicated as you can still receive and place calls and messages.

Fred



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Yes, I understand that, but then you lose access to the camera view if you (or likely your passenger) would want to use something that requires the screen. If you purposely don't use it (so as to not lose camera view), or end-up using another device (for the same reason) it's essentially dedicated.

Great, that it's working for you but I've used phone based cameras before and flip-flopping between functions isn't ideal for my wants/needs....especially for an important task like this.

Multifunctional devices have their place but so do dedicated devices.

[acstokes]

So for the duration of the call or message you lose the view you never had to begin with.


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[RyeL]

I'm towing a 19' Bambi with a Toyota Tacoma and bought a French brand of side mirror extensions. When driving down a totally straight road I can see enough to know if someone is behind me. If I want to double check, a very slight weave in my own lane is enough to get a better look at what's behind me. I can't imagine the need for a camera while towing.
Rye

[Frank's Trailer Works]

knowing if someone is behind you is so simple; put on your turn signal and suddenly they will come out from behind you before you can change lanes.

[cory_can]

Rye, with a narrower/shorter trailer such as your Bambi the blind spot is significantly smaller (convergence angle) and you probably wouldn't need it. Strap an extra ~8ft and the additional width of the wide bodies and you'll probably feel differently. My previous trailer was similarly sized to your 19 Bambi so I have a good sense of the difference.

Frank, predicting someone else's movements based on my actions doesn't sound very reliable to me.

All, if some of you want to use Yoda mind tricks or your Aunt Sally's soup recipe to see in your rear blind spot...all the power to you. For me, a rear camera works very well and gives me additional information. IMO, more road awareness is safer and other than the insignificant cost there is no downside to having the extra visibility.

[Skater]

Originally Posted by slowmover

I cannot tell you the number of times I have come up behind a combined RV rig on the Interstate, pulled out seven lengths back to pass, and found the driver surprised as I come up. I drive an average of 10-12k miles monthly.

How do you know they are surprised?

[Dobber]

Originally Posted by slowmover

The size of mirror glass is central. Tall for the rear view and BIG convex for what is next to you. I drive 12k miles monthly in almost every conceivable condition. MyTV/TT is longer than that tractor-trailer but the mirror size discrepancy seems to be more about cosmetics than function. I changed my factory towing mirrors to a larger head replacement and will be adding BIG convex.

The "best" mirrors I have seen that should be on our vehicles are those on UHaul box vans or like the VELVAC 714579. Use these as reference. Tall and flat for distance and a quite large convex (6-8") for traffic next to you as guideline




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12,000 miles, monthly ?
OMG

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Skater

How do you know they are surprised?

By their reaction



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[jgdunham]

Originally Posted by shockfly

This is my 1st trailer, and I have no experience in towing before.

Recently I bought a towing mirror: Amazon.com: Fit System 3891 Deluxe Universal Clip-on Trailer Towing Mirror: Automotive, I was expecting to use it to see the cars behind my 16' bambi.

However, I'm not sure if it's my bambi too "fat" then my TV(durango), or technically this kind if mirror doesn't feature the ability to cover the directly behind area. I basically can't see nothing of my own line behind my trailer.

Any suggestion on the towing mirrors to let me see what's going on behind me?

Invest in a rear camera system (camera on back of trailer; view screen on windshield) and dispence with the extension mirrors.