Hello all,please help I'm having trouble finding towing mirrors to fit my Kia cee'd sportswagon(estate),Iv looked at and tried various mirrors in shops but can't seem to find any that sit right and feel secure,it could just be me being fussy but I don't want to pay out twice because I didn't fit the right mirrors in the first place.thanks
Towing mirrors
- Thread starter Newvanbie
- Start date
You pay a bit more but the Milenco Grand aeros are good, check out their website, there are a few cars the standard ones dont fit but they sell different attachment feet for.
On the subject of mirrors, is it a legal requirement to attach extra mirrors to the towing vehicle? The reason I ask is that I have a new pick up truck that I'm using to tow and the mirrors are already massive, easily letting me see as much as I used to in my previous car, when it had its extra mirrors attached.
Thanks
Thanks
Damian
Moderator
If your vehicle is wider than your van then you probably don't need extra mirrors, but he legal position is defined in various posts and information on the 'net.
Sounds like another , "nose z weight issue", with my Sante Fe on a Coachman , I can see al l the way down the sides , of the caravan on both sides,so. , if move my head a bit, !! Using the cars mirrors. But just think if think it would be better to have , milco Aeros, rather than be stopped.. I also have a rear view camera on the van which is great.
Hi Newvanbie I see your problem .We tow our van with a BMW X5 and I feel the the mirrors are adequate but in most cases I believe it to be a legal requirement. I Tried several different mirrors and couldnt find one that was any good for the X5. In the end I bought the suck it and see mirrors not to everybody like I know but they work and cant fall off.
Sir Roger
Sir Roger
EH52ARH said:
Hello Hutch,
As far as I can tell from reasonably authoritative sources, the law requires that a driver must have a view down both sides of the trailer. It goes on to add if the view cannot be achieved with the tow vehicles standard mirrors, then additional additional ones must be used.
The scope of the view must include both sides of the trailer, and at a distance of 20M behind the driver a width of 4M either side of the trailer.
The mirrors used on any solo or towing, must not extend beyond the sides of the vehicle by more than 200mm if the bottom of the mirror is less than 2M from the ground, or 250mm if the mirror is more 2M from the ground. This why it's illegal to drive solo with extension towing mirrors on the car.
So provided your standard mirrors genuinly do provide the full scope of view, you don't need extension mirrors.
I use Grand Aeros as well and find them very good.
If you are looking at the legal rules you will find a diagram on the Milenco website and on their boxes which shows the position clearly. Basically if your standard mirrors do not stick out further than the width of the caravan then you need towing mirrors that do.
If you are looking at the legal rules you will find a diagram on the Milenco website and on their boxes which shows the position clearly. Basically if your standard mirrors do not stick out further than the width of the caravan then you need towing mirrors that do.
I know that caravan widths do vary a bit, but having driven over 400 cars at the Tow Car Awards over the years, the ONLY vehicles that I would be happy not to use mirrors on are a few of the ones towing the small trailer. Without exception, ALL of the others have benefitted from having towing mirrors attached.
In the past, there's been the odd car that attaching the Milenco mirrors to has been a bit tricky, but since producing revised clamps, they've been fitted to everything nice and securely.
In the past, there's been the odd car that attaching the Milenco mirrors to has been a bit tricky, but since producing revised clamps, they've been fitted to everything nice and securely.
I like the signs on lorrys and vans, " If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you".
So true thats why I have a rear camera on the caravan thats always activated.not just when reverse is engaged.
All about saftey.
☺
So true thats why I have a rear camera on the caravan thats always activated.not just when reverse is engaged.
All about saftey.
☺
Be aware that if your tow vehicle was used after January 2010 then your tow mirrors must be compliant with the EU standards and will be marked as such. Your car will probably need tow mirrors, I use the Milenco grand aeros and they are pretty much as good as you can get IMO if a bit more expensive.
It is notoriously difficult to realise the size of blind spots generated by looking in rear view driving mirrors.......all drivers that tow caravans should carry out a simple test.
Can you see the rear corners of your caravan when looking in your respective mirrors that you have fitted, when the outfit is accurately aligned.
If you cannot see these corners you will have blind spots and your mirrors are insufficient.
If you place an object at these corners and then gradually move it out wider until you can see it..........you can demonstrate the size of the blind spot that your outfit has.
Can you see the rear corners of your caravan when looking in your respective mirrors that you have fitted, when the outfit is accurately aligned.
If you cannot see these corners you will have blind spots and your mirrors are insufficient.
If you place an object at these corners and then gradually move it out wider until you can see it..........you can demonstrate the size of the blind spot that your outfit has.
Not sure which X5 you have but BMW usually have towing mirrors for their vehicles. I have them on my E53 model X5 , and they are very easy to fit with one thumbscrew, and no vibration. Seconds to fit too. My old 7 series had the same mirror head - they just change the alloy casting that fits on the mirror from car to carSirRogerFFS said:
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