Tow Mirrors that stick to the glass - anyone using them - wha...

[HomerMarge]

If you have not seen them, it uses a sucker that sticks direct onto the glass rather than clamping on the outer mirror casing. This mean if you adjust your mirror, the tow mirror also moves too. The idea sounds good but my concern is that although it comes with a strap (which is where I loose my confidence) that supposidly is there to prevent you loosing the mirror should it fall off...I am just thinking of the damage it will do to you door when driving along, plus constant banging against the door causing further damage until you sind a safe place to pull over!

Or am I just being paranoid...perhaps they would be better without the strap, then the doubt in my mind would be less!

Anyway, anyone seen them or using them

 

[Lutz]

I've seen these mirrors advertised, too, and I could imagine that the mirrors stick to the glass but I'd be more worried about the the poor adjustment mechanism behind having to take all that load and the attachment of the mirror glass itself to that mechanism. All that just wasn't designed to take an extra load. I know on my car you can get the mirror glasses to ratchet out of adjustment if you press hard against one corner. It'll go back again by pressing on the diagonally opposite side but I can imagine that this can be good for the mechanism if done too often.

 

[geoffh]

I have tried these they didn't come unstuck but i took them back as they did shake a lot and i was a bit worried that the mirror glass would come free nice and easy to fit just wasn't for me

 

[Lutz]

I've seen these mirrors advertised, too, and I could imagine that the mirrors stick to the glass but I'd be more worried about the the poor adjustment mechanism behind having to take all that load and the attachment of the mirror glass itself to that mechanism. All that just wasn't designed to take an extra load. I know on my car you can get the mirror glasses to ratchet out of adjustment if you press hard against one corner. It'll go back again by pressing on the diagonally opposite side but I can imagine that this can be good for the mechanism if done too often.

Of course, I should have said "..... this can't be good for the mechanism ....."

When, oh when, are we going to get an edit function for our responses?

 

[Lutz]

Yes, these extension mirrors can only be as steady as the mirror glass which holds them and as the latter is relatively light and protected by the housing, the car manufacturer will, when designing the mirror, only take normal shaker loads acting on the glass into account and these will be relatively low.

 

[clivea]

Hi,

they also take out quite an area of mirror glass which restricts overall vision. I have Milenco clip ons and they are dead staedy and do not restrict normal mirror vision. This gives a far beetr overall rear view and means that on narrow lanes I can use the cars own mirrors to come in close and show the verges etc.

 

[HomerMarge]

O.K, I did not think they would be much cop, I am even more convinced now so thanks.

I took a look in our local caravan shop today, surprising the only mirrors they had plenty of were these 'suck and see' mirrors, pretty much everything elese was sold out.....do we have a caravan boom looming!

Anyway, I did look at the milenco as they had a few, the ones that use a screw top in two positions, be interested to know if these screws cause and damage or indentation to the mirrors, I have painted mirrors on the X-trail.

Thanks

 

[geoffh]

I bought the milenco ones instead of the stick on ones but the straps were a little on the short side but no damage was caused to my colour coded mirrors

 

[jddev]

Hi

I had a pair of the suck it mirrors & sent them back as they had bad vibration, small glass, restricted the cars mirror & 1 fell off & dented the door before I could lower the window & drag it in.

I have Milenco mirrors now & find fitting easy but still get vibration. The vibration I have not been able to get rid of, which I'm disapointed about. They don't mark the mirror casing.

Cheers for now

 

[HomerMarge]

sorry to hear you suffered a dent in the door, I see my fear really was right, no wonder these were the only mirrors left in the shop the other day!

 

[clivea]

Hi,

I hav eused the Milencos for 3 years on a Sorento with no damage at all to the paint finish. I don't use the starps as the pressure pads are sufficient. Milenco recommend not using the straps unless you have weird shaped mirrors.

Other Clive

 

[WilliamTups]

Hi

I did a tow course last year one the instructors had these mirrors to try out and within the first hour they were back in the box...

 

[stevieg330]

Hi,

Hmmn, I seem to be in a minority here.

I'm relatively new to towing and since I got the caravan I have tried various mirrors and hated them all except the 'Suck it and See' ones. Most of them vibrated so much I couldn't see anything out of them. I find the stick on ones great. They don't vibrate and I have never had one fall off including the last time out when we had gales on the trip back.

I can only assume it depends on the design of mirror they attach to as to how well they work. This might also explain why I couldn't get on with the other types. The car I use for towing is an Audi A6 avant and I (and the dealer) found it extremely difficult to attach the other types to the car mirrors whereas the stick on one's are on in seconds and stay stuck lol!

I think rather than dismiss them out of hand I would try them and see how you get on. They are simple to fit and, in my case anyway, are rock solid.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Steve

 

[Lutz]

I'd still be very wary of the long-term durability of the mirror adjustment mechanism with an additonal load hung on to it.