Buckle up, road warriors – we’re about to pimp your towing game to pro status with these mirror upgrade tips! Whether you’re lugging a pop-up camper for weekend getaways or hauling a triple-decker trailer circus cross-country, having a crystal-clear rear view is absolutely mandatory. Otherwise, you’re basically driving blind back there with zero visibility. No bueno!
Those rinky-dink factory truck mirrors are worthless the second you saddle up a trailer over 10 feet long. Hence our topic du jour: making those sweet, oversized towing mirrors your new best friends. This spherical supplemental mirror real estate is a game-changer, letting you monitor every last blind spot around your gigantic payload. Let’s upgrade your towing experience with towing mirrors.
Without further adieu, here are 5 savvy ways to take full advantage of tricked-out towing mirrors:
1. Go Bigger for Goliath Hauls Look, I get it – those massive Coke bottle towing mirrors look mad goofy hanging off your side mirrors. Almost enough to make you reconsider the meaning of life, amirite? Well get over it, because bigger ludicrously is infinitely better when you’re talking extended trailer lengths!
Sure, compact 4-6 inch tow mirror extensions cut it for standard dump trailers or small campers. But start getting into 25+ foot fifth wheel territory or towing multiple smaller trailers and you’ll want those high-vis towing mirrors with like…10+ inches of extension on each side. The more spherical mirrored surface to capture those swaths of fresh blind spots, the merrier!
No more terrifying lane changes or backing up nervously like a newborn deer – those babies virtually eliminate blind zones. Of course, you’ll look like a dad from the 70s driving down the highway, but who cares when you’ve got eyes on literally everything surrounding your gigantic haul? Safety first!
2. Splurge for Cutting-Edge Tech Cosmetic towing mirrors from the 90s did the job in terms of widening your rearward view. But modern trailering calls for modern, high-tech mirrors! I’m talking premium glass optics for zero distortion, ultra-sturdy steel-reinforced brackets, and slick integrated features for all-season towing.
For instance, those Cipa babies come loaded with killer extras like:
· Precision micrometer adjustment knobs to fine-tune the perfect mirror angle
· Built-in defrosters to zap ice and steam in winter conditions
· One-touch blinker dimming to block jerks riding your tail at night
· Ultra-sleek contoured designs that punch way above their price point
Listen, upgrading something as pivotal as you know, not driving blind, is worth those few extra bucks for premium towing mirror craftsmanship. Especially on grueling long hauls where every safety advantage matters! Those legacy add-ons from decades past are best left in Grandpa’s garage.
3. Look for Quick Release and Easy Stowage Ahh yes, the double-edged sword of towing mirrors. They’re low-key indispensable safety sidekicks when hauling, buuuut kind of a nuisance to have flapping around when you’re just cruising local in your day-to-day rig. That’s why quick easy removal is such a key feature!
Scoping towing mirrors with quick-release levers is the way to go. That way you can pop those bad boys on for trailering duties, then remove them with ease when the hauling’s done. No more driving around post-tow with those door panels fluttering in the wind like a drunk butterfly! A quick couple twist-and-tugs lets you ditch ’em back in the garage where they belong until needed.
Pro Tip: Stick with slide-on models for super fast removable over the permanent-mount sets that require tools. You’ll want to be able to pop those mirrors off ASAP for tight driving/parking situations.
4. Layer Up for Total Wraparound View As a professional trailer-wrangler, I’d be remiss if I didn’t drop knowledge about the ultimate rear visibility upgrade: deploying a crossover mirror along with your main towing mirrors. That double-mirror combo creates an ultra-wide panorama that lets you monitor all blindzones and rear quarters in one glance!
Just a dinky lil’ crossover mirror extending off your towing mirror’s outermost edge provides solid visibility into your side blind spots. Pair that wide angle side capture with your towing mirror’s rear view, and not a single Camry can escape your sight while hauling! Honestly, they should just start installing those crossfire mirror setups at the factory for towing rigs.
5. …Or Ditch the Mirrors for a Camera! Okay okay, maybe you tried towing mirrors and just can’t vibe with them no matter how teched out the set is. I hear you! Anything protruding that far out from your doors requires getting used to. That extra width is seriously cramping your style.
Well great news, my open-minded haulers: we live in an age of backup cameras! Ditch the mirrors altogether and go full rear-facing camera setup with side-viewing channels for 100% blindzone coverage. Just a couple discrete backup cam units placed strategically around your trailer supply
Discussion about this post