Towng mirror recommendation please

[The Ridge Rider]

Not wishing to get into a bun fight, if you get caught not using extension mirrors and cannot see the legal distance to the side and rear of the trailer/caravan, you will contest the possable £1000 fine and three points that could be awarded on your licence, also in the event of an accident will you ensure your car or caravan insurance will cough up, that is if car insurance has been told of the tow bar and the towing of said caravan/trailer, some people have caravan insurance, i know of one person who does not have it.

Bored now, going for a cuppa.

[The Ridge Rider]

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/t...wing-equipment

[Quacker]

I have given the definition of 'adequate' towing mirrors. If you conform to that definition, as provided by the Caravan Club, whether you have extended mirrors or not, you have adequate rear vision and conform to the law in that regard.

However, if the visibility arc to too narrow and that man standing cannot be seen because he is shadowed by the caravan and the angle of the mirror's inner ark, it certainly is necessary to fit extended mirrors to your car. I can assure you though, that there is no blanket law that means all towing vehicles must have them fitted.

It is ironic that a large proportion of caravan drivers who are so fussy about this and judge others, without knowing whether the mirrors are just fine or not, have little spacial awareness themselves [I meet them on the roads around here regularly] and I would say that the majority cannot reverse for love nor money, much less reverse only using their mirrors back down [even] a straight road. Professional drivers like myself must pass a trailer towing test, yet caravaners can just jump in and go. No wonder they are advised to not tow more than 85% [or similar] of the towing car's laden weight, whereas I regularly tow 3.5 tons with a two ton vehicle with no rearward visibility issues using standard mirrors with zero accidents in 45 years. The fear or towing and the inability to judge width and turning arc, plus the complete inability to reverse accurately are the reasons that caravanettes , or self-propelled caravans seem to be taking an ever greater proportion of the market. It must be. It's certainly not down to value.

[The Ridge Rider]

Not to worried about reversing, as an artic driver of 30 odd years, and most of that reversing around building sites, if i cant do it now i never will, i do have some yellow reflective tape stuck on the edge of my mirrors as some people do not seen to be aware of them.

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by The Ridge Rider

Not to worried about reversing, as an artic driver of 30 odd years, and most of that reversing around building sites, if i cant do it now i never will, i do have some yellow reflective tape stuck on the edge of my mirrors as some people do not seen to be aware of them.

In the caravan club link, i think they give the maximum meaure allowed for a mirror to stick out beyond the car body. Extended mirrors exceed that measure substantially and may also exceed the limit outside the trailer body. Most have black backs, so it is prudent to stick high visibility tape to their backs which will reduce the risk of someone else whacking your mirror

[Whyman]

And Milenco do even wider ones now to cover the latest vans that are up to 2.5m wide.

They must also be removed once you have dropped the van off before you go on the road again

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by Whyman

And Milenco do even wider ones now to cover the latest vans that are up to 2.5m wide.

They must also be removed once you have dropped the van off before you go on the road again

That is a given, considering the maximum allowable protrusion from the vehicle or trailer. Even the shorter ones would fall foul of excessive protrusion.

The law is that the mirror shall not project more than 20cm beyond the overall width of the vehicle (or trailer being pulled) on either side. So do check this. With a wide trailer and narrow car, it might be fine with a trailer attached but illegal and prone to being whacked when trailer is detached.

Personally I would not buy a 2.5 metre width van for touring. Not even behind my Land Cruiser Amazon. Roads are often too narrow and it is a liability to have trailer wheels much further out than the towing vehicle's wheels when there is little margin for error with soft verges, curbs and HGV's, let alone towns and villages that are difficult enough to get through with a 2m wide car alone, especially during the Summer.

[Whyman]

Originally Posted by Quacker

That is a given, considering the maximum allowable protrusion from the vehicle or trailer. Even the shorter ones would fall foul of excessive protrusion.

The law is that the mirror shall not project more than 20cm beyond the overall width of the vehicle (or trailer being pulled) on either side. So do check this. With a wide trailer and narrow car, it might be fine with a trailer attached but illegal and prone to being whacked when trailer is detached.

Personally I would not buy a 2.5 metre width van for touring. Not even behind my Land Cruiser Amazon. Roads are often too narrow and it is a liability to have trailer wheels much further out than the towing vehicle's wheels when there is little margin for error with soft verges, curbs and HGV's, let alone towns and villages that are difficult enough to get through with a 2m wide car alone, especially during the Summer.

You are absolutely correct. I would not be able to get a 2.5m van up my drive never mind down some of the narrow lanes in Cornwall!