This may be a silly question but...

[HomerMarge]

Do you still need towing vehicles with a large 4x4?

 

[HomerMarge]

It was a silly question...sorry I meant to say 'do you still need towing mirrors with a large 4x4'!

 

[Lol1]

Yes it's still a good idea, you may on some of the widest 4x4s be able to see down the flanks of one of the narrower caravans. However, the extra safety margin bought about by the use of extended mirrors (and lets face it, they are not particularly expensive) makes fitting them well worth the trouble. I once met a fellow caravaner who towed without them, when I asked him why, he just said that all he had to do was to wiggle the steering wheel a little to be able to see what was behind him.

I haven't found that little golden nugget in the CC handbook yet, but I'm still searching.

 

[RichardS1]

Even with a wide 4x4 towing mirrors give a broader view of the road behind, especially on motorways or dual carriageways when overtaking.

 

[Steve L]

I'll quote a piece of motoring law here.

If the trailed vehicle (carvan)has a body with greater than the body with of the tractive vehicle (car, then an additional morror is required to be fitted to the off side of the vehicle (right hand side. However it is recommended that a mirror be fitted to the nearside as well.

It doesn't matter what type of vehicle you are towing with, surely being able to see clearly behind is a vital safety atribute for all concerned.

The addition of a left hand side towing mirror will show you when it is safe to pull back in after overtaking and I find that tiliting my cars original mirror as low as it will go also show's the kerb when you are turning left, which avoids mounting the pavement.

Finally yes I could tow my 20foot twin axle with my Laguna without extra mirrors, but by fitting a towing mirror to each door mirror I have now got a guage of the width of the caravan. So if I can get the mirrors through the gap then the caravan will follow too.

For the sake of 5 mins or less to pop on a couple of mirrors that will save you an accident or a pinched tyre wall that will burst at speed, or scraping the van down the side of a wall because you had no measure of width.

Doh Homie!

 

[BeemerMal]

It was a silly question...sorry I meant to say 'do you still need towing mirrors with a large 4x4'!

No question sounds silly if you don't know the answer.

 

[HomerMarge]

doh! ok just to put the record straight, yes it was a silly quesiton, but purely out of curiosity rather than me being tight? It was just that some of these 4x4 vehicles (for instance new shape crv) are huge, so wondered wheter they were ok for towing as they stuck out so far..

Anyway, no worries, as we are spending nearly 14k on a new vehicle, we will ensure we get some mirrors thrown in or were walking away!

 

[Neville Twigg]

It was a silly question...sorry I meant to say 'do you still need towing mirrors with a large 4x4'!

Leo got your reply spot on but its also illegal to tow any vehicle

that you carn,t see down the side of. I drive a very large HGV as well as pulling my Elddis if you carn,t see me when you pull out to overtake, then your in trouble for a few pounds its not worth the trouble.The caravan seasons nearly up us its supprising How many Don,t use Mirrors.