Mirrors

[harleywolf]

So I am shopping for some extended mirrors so I can see what

[brainpause]

McKesh Mirrors are a popular item. I like mine, but I didn't get them until I got the hybrid. You can literally see very close behind the trailer with them.

Larry

[wavery]

We use these strap-on mirrors:
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=10438&src=SRQB

Some people don't like them because they aren't real stable. It doesn't bother me. However, I seldom drive over 60MPH while towing. Over 60, the wind really blows these mirrors around.

It also depends on the shape of your factory mirrors. When I used them On my Concorde, they were slightly more problematic because the straps would slide down the tapered mirror. On our S10 pick-up, they work perfectly.

The person that I bought this truck from used the McKesh Mirrors (like in the above post). They damaged the paint a little. You can see exactly where the support rested on the doors. he offered to give me the mirrors with the truck and I declined. He wasn't real happy with what they did to the doors.

[harleywolf]

Yes I have looked at the McKesh mirrors and though they boast that they will not damage your vehicle I can

[wavery]

Yes I have looked at the McKesh mirrors and though they boast that they will not damage your vehicle I can

[LimeJeeeep]

ironically i have just posted on the jeep commander forum asking about extended mirrors...thanks guys

[austinado16]

What about the Cipa's?  Not sure if they make 'em for the Jeep, but the ones I've seen for GM/Ford applications look very stock.....covering the whole mirror like a sleeve and adding a 3-4" square additional mirror at the very end.

Of course, if you weren't playing around with those little Jeep things, you wouldn't have this problem.......but I digress, and dive for cover.

[LimeJeeeep]

i,ll look into the cipa,s.....but a 7 passenger jeep commander is not exactly "a little jeep thing"

[AustinBoston]

I don't use extended mirrors, but with our setup (tall tow vehicle, no A/C on trailer), we can see OVER the trailer.

I'm going to go a little off-topic and I am not trying to hijack the tread, but if you are not towing, or if you can use your rear-view mirror, you should NOT be able to see your own vehicle or your trailer in your side mirrors.  Let me explain.

Like most people, for years I adjusted my side mirrors so I could just barely see my car in the mirror.  Then, when I was on the highway, I was always careful to turn my head and check my "blind spot" before changing lanes.  Then I read an article in a AAA publication that described what I did, and said it was very common, but completely wrong and dangerous.

There are three main problems with that method:

• There is still a blind spot.  Unless you turn your head so far that your forehead touches the side window, there is an area you are not seeing by turning your head.
• When travelling forward, your head should not be pointing backward, it should be pointing forward.  If something happens during that "glance over the shoulder" you loose significant reaction time, up to 1/2 second (about 45 feet or several car lengths at 60 MPH).
  
• There is a natural tendency, when you turn your head, to also turn the steering wheel.  Most of us have learned to compensate, but we had to learn to do so; it is not natural.  In addition, if you are trying to change lanes on a curve, even a gradual one, you probably still have issues with managing the steering.
  
  What AAA said to do is to lean halfway to the window on the driver's side, then adjust to barely see your vehicle.  Lean the same amount to the passenger side.  They said it might take a few tries to figure out exactly how much to lean.  When properly adjusted, the driver's side mirror will seem to be pointed off into some unexplainable space, and the passenger side will be more-or-less centered on the lane to your right.
  
  Then just watch what you can see in the mirrors.
  
  I was very surprised.  There is NO blind spot.  A car passing (on either side) is always clearly visible.  I see a headlight appear in the side mirror the moment it disappears from the rearview.  As the car passes me, even a small car stays in the mirror until the front of the car is right beside me.  There simply is no blind spot, and I no longer need to take my eyes off of the road ahead to do the swivel-headed check before changing lanes.  
  
  One of the other benefits is that nighttime headlight glare from the side mirrors is reduced.  The mirror doesn't reflect a passing vehicle's headlights at you until they are at a point where the headlights are normally pointed past you, not at you.  This doesn't work for badly aimed headlights, but it does help with most vehicles on the road today.
  
  Obviously, it does not work if you can not see over your trailer; in that case, you still need at least one mirror that can see behind the trailer.
  
  Austin

[harleywolf]

Huh, very interesting AustinB, I

[austinado16]

i,ll look into the cipa,s.....but a 7 passenger jeep commander is not exactly "a little jeep thing"

Just giving you a hard time with my 9 passenger 'burb.

[wavery]

What about the Cipa's?  Not sure if they make 'em for the Jeep, but the ones I've seen for GM/Ford applications look very stock.....covering the whole mirror like a sleeve and adding a 3-4" square additional mirror at the very end.

Of course, if you weren't playing around with those little Jeep things, you wouldn't have this problem.......but I digress, and dive for cover.

Geez Todd.........why would you need extension mirrors at all :confused: .....that tank is wider than your PU... :yikes:

[austinado16]

Geez Todd.........why would you need extension mirrors at all :confused: .....that tank is wider than your PU... :yikes:

The Sub-Urbans come set up for towing, as did the Blazer, so those are the factory power mirrors.  There are Cipas made for them, and look just like the factory mirror but extend a further 4 or 5".  So no, it's not sporting add-on towing mirrors.

It's exactly as wide as the PUP, so the PUP is basically along for a free ride.

[geronimo]

So I am shopping for some extended mirrors so I can see what

[SpeakEasy]

I have the McKesh mirrors, and as soon as I got them I got concerned about the potential they have to mar the paint on the doors. So, I am meticulous about cleaning both the door and the pad (on the mirror support) every time I strap them on. If you have even tiny grains of "dirt" between the door and the pad you'll end up with scratches. I figure that if there is absolutely no dirt between the door and the pad the liklihood of scratching is much less.

-Speak