Truck mirrors for towing

Frank, Ive used a few better, and a LOT worse than that mirror, (don't know the brands). If you can possibly find an Electrically adjustable and heated mirror for the Right side at least, I would highly recommend it for aid in any tight right turns or blind side backing around tight curves or corners. With that mirror, (as well as any other mirror of that type), you will still need to get a 2" round, curved face mirror with a stick on backing and stick it on the lower right corner of the right mirror to help you see the traffic in the mirror's blind spots, and also on the lower left corner of the driver's side mirror for the same reason.

Good Luck, and be Safe on your trip.
 
I have done a lot of towing with both cars and pick-ups of everything from campers to stock trailers. Whether it's mounted on the door or fenders doesn't matter much to me. But what is important is to have mirrors that stick out far enough to see in back, many camper mirrors offered today won't do that. And, for me, is an old fashioned flat mirror. None of that curved stuff that makes images look farther away than they are. For a one time trip, I would get the type that clamp onto the fender. Bigger the better. And best to limit your towing to day time, those headlights in the mirrors are killers.
 
…If you can possibly find an Electrically adjustable and heated mirror for the Right side at least, I would highly recommend it for aid in any tight right turns or blind side backing around tight curves or corners. …Good Luck, and be Safe on your trip.
Thanks Norman, I had never considered the possibility of an electrically adjustable mirror on the right side, and didn’t even know they existed! Reminds me of when we built our first building in the industrial park where truckers had to back to the door driving counter-clockwise!
Thanks for the best wishes too…
Frank
 
I have done a lot of towing with both cars and pick-ups of everything from campers to stock trailers. Whether it's mounted on the door or fenders doesn't matter much to me. But what is important is to have mirrors that stick out far enough to see in back, many camper mirrors offered today won't do that. And, for me, is an old fashioned flat mirror. None of that curved stuff that makes images look farther away than they are. For a one time trip, I would get the type that clamp onto the fender. Bigger the better. And best to limit your towing to day time, those headlights in the mirrors are killers.
Good advice Frank. I’ve done some towing too and am also hard-wired for flat mirrors. FWIW though, I have scars on my head that bring even that into question (caused by scissors).

I’ll pull this trailer more than one time, and am not averse to removing the towing mirrors and reinstalling them, but the clamp-on types I have come across look rather flimsy. Have a better place I could look?

And how about this for a night time towing procedure: Put clip-on flip-down sunglasses on my regular eye glasses and remove the right lens???;)

Thanks Frank,
Frank
 
Thanks Norman, I had never considered the possibility of an electrically adjustable mirror on the right side, and didn’t even know they existed! Reminds me of when we built our first building in the industrial park where truckers had to back to the door driving counter-clockwise!
Thanks for the best wishes too…
Frank

Hey, that's just a see-side back, no problem! (when backing up in a truck, left side is the 'see' side, right side is 'blind' side.)
 
Hey, that's just a see-side back, no problem! (when backing up in a truck, left side is the 'see' side, right side is 'blind' side.)
Perhaps Ned, we are saying the same thing. An acute angle on the driver’s side is easy, whereas an acute angle on passenger side is difficult. That’s why I said that counter-clockwise backing (viewed from above), does not let driver see the rear of the trailer, and that the right side adjustable mirror that Norman suggested would help. Do I have this right (or is it “left”? darned mirrors really confuse me!!!)
Frank
 
Frank, the late model Pickup trucks have mirrors available now very similar to tha "Big Rig" mirrors, that are electricly operated, heated, AND their mounting rods/shafts can be pulled out for use when towing or pushed in for normal use, and I was told that there was supposedly one or more mirror mfrs. that were making models for retrofit for the older pickups, but I'm not 100% sure that is correct. I sure liked the BIG RIG's newer mirrors, and I have driven both the Duallys w/42' car hauling trlrs and the Big Rigs professionally for well over a million miles and there's NOTHING more useful that GOOD mirrors to enhance safety. You might also check the types/styles of mirrors that are now available through some of the Trailer sales/rental places, and the Pickup aftermarket Trick Shops to see what really is available, (even if you don't buy from them).
 
Frank,
yep, pretty much saying the same thing. Any driver worth his license will tell you that it is preferable to back in to the left vs to the right, simply safer since that is where the driver sits in the truck. That being said, a straight line back is safer yet.
As for fender mount mirrors vs the triple connector point shown above, for limited duty I bet the fender mounts would work, but the old-school would work fine. I'd just add a spot mirror to the flat mirror for help with the blind spots.

As for lights in mirrors, you learn to use them to your advantage, after all, without the light, how would you know where that other vehicle was at all?
 
You can go to a NAPA auto parts if you have on close or you can try a truck stop. Both places will have mirrors that will be unavirsle.
 
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