Towing mirrors

biggles · Senior Member

Towing mirrors

Cruising Granny · Guru

Oops! I've done it if I'm only in town for a couple of days. Sorry.
I'll have to sort out my mirror etiquette.
I've even walked into my own mirrors in a tight squeeze. Serves me right, eh?

Nicholstones · Guru

We always take the mirrors off when we get anywhere, unless we are only staying overnight and staying hitched up. It only takes a minute or two.

It is SO annoying if you get to the local supermarket carpark and some wally has left their towing mirrors on, there is no way you can open the car door next to to them, or if you can you have to squeeze out.

The same applies to wdh towballs, we always remove ours, and then you go somewhere and some plonker has left on a huge Hayman Reese hitch and takes up one and a half car spots.

Cupie · Guru

Hi ...

I'm not really a goodie two shoes .... but .... I always remove my extendable mirrors after unhooking . (maybe only to protect against damage as I have fitted a rigid braket on the fold back 4WD mirrors).

On the other hand, I just put a white bag over the hitch, mainly as a shin guard but also to keep dirt & grit off the greased bits.
I only take the hitch off if going 4WDriving (to increase departure angle clearance) .. or if I am not moving on for more than a couple of days.

Cruising Granny · Guru

I leave the hitch on when I'm in transit and cover the greasy ball with one of those covers.
My spare tyre extends from the rear as much as the tow hitch, so if you bang your shins on the hitch you bang your nose on the wheel cover. That's 2 "ouches"!
And then you have to negotiate my mirrors.
Gee this vanning is dangerous business.
So many hazards to negotiate, and that's while you're still in the car park.

blaze · Guru

Cruising Granny wrote:

I leave the hitch on when I'm in transit and cover the greasy ball with one of those covers.
My spare tyre extends from the rear as much as the tow hitch, so if you bang your shins on the hitch you bang your nose on the wheel cover. That's 2 "ouches"!
And then you have to negotiate my mirrors.
Gee this vanning is dangerous business.
So many hazards to negotiate, and that's while you're still in the car park.

car park is probably the worst place to be, I try to stay away from them if possible. Would rather spend $20 more and shop at a small corner store.
OK, back on topic, never give it a thought to take off the mirrors. Thanks for the heads up
cheers
blaze
ps
33 days of work left between now and DD (departure day, jan 27)

jimricho · Guru

I usually remove the towing mirrors as soon as I've unhitched. If stored carefully they don't need to be readjusted when I refit them. If left on they can be a pain for others in car parks or where angle parking is involved and they are invariably bumped and need readjusting. Also where there's kerbside parking pedestrians passing by will often bump them.

Having bumped my shins more than once on the hitch receiver on my vehicle and on others when parked in poorly lit car parks, I usually remove that too

howdrink · Senior Member

I take my mirrors off as soon as unhitched unless just a overnight stop
you are right only takes couple of min's to put them back on, and also i find it give's the rubbers on the door time to go back into shape

currently in Brokenhill

-- Edited by howdrink on Tuesday 16th of November 2010 07:07:48 AM

petengail · Guru

I am pretty sure that it is illegal to have them attached when not actually towing in Queensland - would be interested in what the situation is in other states,,,,

lyn-n-ken · Senior Member

welllll
i have trouble remembering to put the mirrors on BUT i always remember to take them of
as for the towbar it stays on its to much fun watching hubby walk into it biggrin

lyn

ozjohn · Guru

Where the trailer is wider than the towing vehicle, side mirrors on the towing vehicle may project beyond the extreme width of the trailer. However, when the trailer is detached, these mirrors must be removed if they project more than 150mm beyond the extreme width of the towing vehicle.

Ref: VSI 18 Rev2 Oct 2003
Cheers, ozjohn.

Shell · Veteran Member

We have the "Clear View" Mirrors, so we no longer have to worry about forgetting to take them of or put them on - they are brilliant!

www.clearviewmirrors.com.au

Shell

-- Edited by Shell on Tuesday 16th of November 2010 11:27:53 AM

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Thank you for that website Shell, that looks fantastic!

thommo · Senior Member

Shell wrote:

We have the "Clear View" Mirrors, so we no longer have to worry about forgetting to take them of or put them on - they are brilliant!

www.clearviewmirrors.com.au

Shell

-- Edited by Shell on Tuesday 16th of November 2010 11:27:53 AM

Shell,
They look expensive, - any idea how much?

Shell · Veteran Member

Hi Thommo,
yes you had better be sitting down.
$680.00
But they are totally worth it. they fit into the exact electrical fitting of orignal mirrors - so top half of mirror fully electric and bottom half hand moveable. would not be without them now!

Just been to Perth camping show and spoke to dealer - they make them for a few different models now. Back in July when we got them it was just LC 100 series and Patrol GU.
He said they hae really taken off - we know why:)

Shell

Smokeydk · Guru

No Mitsubishi ones made yet??

jimricho · Guru

Smokeydk wrote:

No Mitsubishi ones made yet??

Not yet according to their website..... At that price I'm not interested either, I have more sensible things to spend my hard earned on.... (beer, wine, long boozy lunches, etc...)

Ron and Shirley · Senior Member

Shell wrote:

But they are totally worth it. they fit into the exact electrical fitting of orignal mirrors - so top half of mirror fully electric and bottom half hand moveable. would not be without them now!

Totally agree, we have had a set on our Patrol since January and they are just so much better than the vehicles factory mirrors for about town driving and leave the Aussie Truck mirrors for dead when towing.

No damage to window seals or rubbing of door panels, little or no vibration that happens with most clip on mirrors and no blow back when trucks pass in the opposite direction.

Then there is the convenience of just pushing them back in when you unhook to drive into town. So no storage and accidental moving of the mirrors requiring readjustment when you hitch up to move on, just pull them back out to the towing position.

Just very happy customers.