Tow mirrors for LR Defender

[twindaddy]

Can anyone recommend best towing mirrors that fit and work on Land Rover Defender wing mirrors...

Thanks
TD

 

[Sproket]

Milencos will fit as seen here 😉

 

[twindaddy]

Milencos will fit as seen here 😉

Thanks Sproket.

Looking at the photo, they appear to have a 'straight' arm and every Milenco set I find for sale but a slight dog leg bend in the arms, are they just superseded models now or am I seeing wrong?

TD

 

[Sproket]

I have some milenco grand aeros & the arms are straight with a kick up at the mirror end, I bought the extra long arms that are about an extra 100mm just so that I could get a better view down the near side of the van & due to the mirror position on the door I have put the passenger side one so that it is kicked up, I will post a photo when I get home from work tonight for you to see ...

 

[twindaddy]

That would be great, thank you, I need to order some over the weekend for trip out Friday.

Cheers
TD

 

[Sproket]

Hi TD
You can see the driver side in the normal position, & the passenger side one I have taken the screw out & turned the arm round & then fastened it back on to the back of the mirror ( one screw )

Milenco Grand Aero Mirrors & here is a link to the Extra Wide Arms that I purchased, you can also buy spares for these quite easily.

I put the passenger mirror up like that so that I get a clearer view .. 😉

 

[JTQ]

With the three Defenders we owned I made the following modification to each mirror.
I drilled two holes in each aluminium arm so I could bolt an alloy plate to the underside of the arms.
These plates extended to present a forward facing "lip" onto which the equivalent of Milenco Aeros mounting blocks could be clamped. I recall I had the lip facing forward so if the mirror was pushed back it could fold, but the blocks of my extension mirrors could accommodate being that way round.
The plates were cut from something like 4 mm alloy, and the bolts were 5 mm stainless steel pan headed.
These were left on each vehicle as they were sold on and I have no photos of the details, but the design had little criticality and something similar could easily be replicated with the Milenco blocks and vehicle to hand.

 

[Mikaroony]

I think Land rover have some over on there website, what year is your LR defender

 

[DeliDave_]

Good call Mikaroony

Found theses as a starter
http://www.paddockspares.com/da4406-unbreakable-flat-glass-mirror-with-290mm-arm.html

 

[twindaddy]

Thanks, the milenco option looks like what I had in mind, I'll try with standard arms and then buy the additional if necessary. Is it best having the convex or flat glass?

Cheers

 

[JTQ]

Good call Mikaroony

Found theses as a starter
http://www.paddockspares.com/da4406-unbreakable-flat-glass-mirror-with-290mm-arm.html

Fitted on a standard civilian Defender, when running solo, will these not contravene the maximum allowed extension?
[200mm I believe]
Removing and refitting them between each towing is not a five minute job.

 

[Gafferbill]

Hi JTQ.........I think they mount via a stiff ball and socket joint so can be easily pull in and out as required. I could be wrong 😉

 

[JTQ]

Hi JTQ.........I think they mount via a stiff ball and socket joint so can be easily pull in and out as required. I could be wrong 😉

The mirrors themselves pivot around a ball on the arm but the arm is the bit that is too long and that mounts via a hinge bolt. All from memory as we no longer run Defenders or hold the workshop manuals.
The extension arms are for wider rear bodied LRs, plus those with side mounted sparewheels to see past etc; IMO they will be illegal on a normal Defender, but only find out after an accident etc where the vehicle will be more closely looked at.
Looked into using these extension arms twenty years ago and that was the issue then and why I fitted mine as described earlier in this thread..

 

[xtrailman]

Having just gone through the mirror update I found the grand milencos not very secure on my Mazda CX-5.

I wasn't happy about just relying on clamps, so I've replaced them with a cheaper mirror from a company part of milenco, these have clamps plus two straps, and a safety lanyard.

http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/93056-milenco-grand-aero-gone/page-2
I've replaced two strapon convex mirrors, tried the normal aeros in convex, didn't like them, so took them back and updated to grand aeros in flat, didn't like them, so have settled for convex on the nearside, and flat on offside. Using these mirrors.

http://milencolimited.vpweb.co.uk/Products.html
http://milencolimited.vpweb.co.uk/default.html
But research shows others prefer them differently.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=20&TopicID=289210

 

[twindaddy]

Having just gone through the mirror update I found the grand milencos not very secure on my Mazda CX-5.

I wasn't happy about just relying on clamps, so I've replaced them with a cheaper mirror from a company part of milenco, these have clamps plus two straps, and a safety lanyard.

http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/93056-milenco-grand-aero-gone/page-2
I've replaced two strapon convex mirrors, tried the normal aeros in convex, didn't like them, so took them back and updated to grand aeros in flat, didn't like them, so have settled for convex on the nearside, and flat on offside. Using these mirrors.

http://milencolimited.vpweb.co.uk/Products.html
http://milencolimited.vpweb.co.uk/default.html
But research shows others prefer them differently.

]http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=20&TopicID=289210

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=20&TopicID=289210[/quote
Would you want to sell the milenco grand aeros?

 

[xtrailman]

Yes but at the end of the year.

 

[otherclive]

I prefer flat on the drivers side with convex on the near side. The flat gives a better visualisation of distance and speed of overtaking cars which combined with the cars flat mirror helps to keep my neurons all lined up!