Fed up of wobbly mirrors, thinking of investing in some Milenco grand aero ones, should I use flat or curved, or one of each and if so on which side? I know thas has probably been asked before, but I can't find any reference to it in the 3 books I have or any magazines, the chap in the shop didn't know either.
Flat or curved mirrors?
- Thread starter Joann
- Start date
Hi Joann,
My personal preference is for convex mirrors, espesialy on the drivers side. It give a much wide angle of view and allows you to see cars that over taking you as they come along side. The down side is they make vehicels look further away than they actually are, so judging distances needs extra care.
My personal preference is for convex mirrors, espesialy on the drivers side. It give a much wide angle of view and allows you to see cars that over taking you as they come along side. The down side is they make vehicels look further away than they actually are, so judging distances needs extra care.
hi
both have advantages and disadvantages, I'm afraid the curved ones give a panoramic view of the road behind and to the side but distort the image somewhat.
the flat ones give a restricted view but no distortion.
personally I use the curved ones as they give a better side view of traffic entering from the slip ways "left one" and all 3 lanes on the m/way "right one" as well as being able to see down both sides of the van.
its down to choice really thats my reason someone else may see it differently.
colin
both have advantages and disadvantages, I'm afraid the curved ones give a panoramic view of the road behind and to the side but distort the image somewhat.
the flat ones give a restricted view but no distortion.
personally I use the curved ones as they give a better side view of traffic entering from the slip ways "left one" and all 3 lanes on the m/way "right one" as well as being able to see down both sides of the van.
its down to choice really thats my reason someone else may see it differently.
colin
I'd go for a flat one on the driver's side, so that you get the minimum of distortion, making it easier to judge how far the traffic behind you is, and a convex one on the other, to compensate for the smaller angle of vision that you get with the mirror being so far away.
I should have added, that the mirros I use sit outside of the exsiting car mirrors so you get the benefit of both, although the standard mirror view is partially obstructed by the width of the caravan trailer.
Quite a number of cars have compund drivers door mirrors with a plain portion and a convex outer edge. There is often a dotted line on the mirror that delineates the change of surface.
Quite a number of cars have compund drivers door mirrors with a plain portion and a convex outer edge. There is often a dotted line on the mirror that delineates the change of surface.
If you tow in Europe the extra field of vision given by a convex mirror on the passsenger side is worth having even though it does produce a smaller image size as others have mentioned. I started with one of each, but have now changed to both convex as then at least the images are the same size both sides and easier to get used to. Grand Aeros seem to do what it says on the box and have proved stead in quite high winds and with passing HGVs. If you have 7'6" wide caravan (as many of the new ones are0 and a 'standard' car you may find the extension arms which Milenco sell give more coverage. They are a straightforward replacement for the standard arms.
The only mod. I would suggest is to put some more reflective material (white) onto the body to make them ore conspicuous to oncoming traffic or pedestrians, and to fold or even romove them when on ferries - avoid the risk of getting the car mirror bent or torn off.
The only mod. I would suggest is to put some more reflective material (white) onto the body to make them ore conspicuous to oncoming traffic or pedestrians, and to fold or even romove them when on ferries - avoid the risk of getting the car mirror bent or torn off.
I have Grande aero Flat however instead of putting the arm in the down position I put it
in the up position so the mirror is much higher than my car mirrors this allows me to see to the back of the caravan on both sides
and I use my car mirrors for checking the tyres on the caravan when going close to curbs on roads or roundabouts
i have driven like this in both the united Kingdom and Europe and find it very useful as it keeps a clear distinction between towing mirror and caravan mirror.
I dont think I could use the convex mirror as whan I had them on cars before I did not trus them for distance and overtaking
Thats my opinion anyway
in the up position so the mirror is much higher than my car mirrors this allows me to see to the back of the caravan on both sides
and I use my car mirrors for checking the tyres on the caravan when going close to curbs on roads or roundabouts
i have driven like this in both the united Kingdom and Europe and find it very useful as it keeps a clear distinction between towing mirror and caravan mirror.
I dont think I could use the convex mirror as whan I had them on cars before I did not trus them for distance and overtaking
Thats my opinion anyway
Wether or not you can still use the car mirrors, a flat mirror is the standard safety requirement on the drivers side of the vehicle. his is because it gives a true reflection of proximity of following traffic.
You can use a convex mirror on the passenger side as there is still no legal requirement or discriptor for mirrors being fitted. Motor manufacturers fit left and right hand mirrors as a matter of coarse.
Personally I use flat mirrors on both sides of the car and I have a small blind spot convex mirror stuck in the bottom right corner of the lefthand door mirror. This picks up most blind spots and the flat lefthand mirror gives a good view of distance when pulling back in after overtaking.
You can use a convex mirror on the passenger side as there is still no legal requirement or discriptor for mirrors being fitted. Motor manufacturers fit left and right hand mirrors as a matter of coarse.
Personally I use flat mirrors on both sides of the car and I have a small blind spot convex mirror stuck in the bottom right corner of the lefthand door mirror. This picks up most blind spots and the flat lefthand mirror gives a good view of distance when pulling back in after overtaking.
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