Accessories ➧ On test Towing mirrrors
Mirror,
Tested by David Weaver
mirror...
… on the car. Which has the clearest vision by far? We
take a dozen towing mirrors out for a ride with a caravan
in tow to see how well they perform
THE PRODUCTS
➧ MGI SAFETY
MIRROR CONVEX
BEST FOR
VALUE
➧ MGI STEADY XL
TOWING MIRRORS
➧ MGI STEADY VIEW
TOWING MIRRORS
➧ MAYPOLE EXTENSION
DELUXE TOWING MIRROR
FLAT
➧ MAYPOLE EXTENSION
DELUXE TOWING MIRROR
CONVEX
➧ MAYPOLE EXTENSION
TOWING MIRRORS
➧ MAYPOLE EXTENSION
LARGE DUAL TOWING
MIRROR
BEST FOR
LOOKS
➧ MILENCO AERO 2
CONVEX TOWING MIRRORS
➧ MILENCO GRAND AERO
TOWING MIRRORS
➧ REICH HANDY MIRROR
XL SUPER FLEX
➧ REICH HANDY
MIRROR XL EXTENDED
➧ REICH MIRROR
CONTROL
www.outandaboutlive.co.uk | September 2013 47 |
BEST
OVERALL
Accessories ➧ On test Towing mirrors
All the mirrors tested gave a far more comprehensive view behind than the
towcar mirrors alone and they all complied with UK law
TOWING MIRROR LAW
HOW WE
TESTED THEM
We used a Swift Iona, kindly
lent to us by Grantham
Caravans, towed by a
Volkswagen Passat CC.
Each mirror was fitted
securely to the vehicle. The time
this took was totted up and the
ease with which each mirror's
set up was acheived was
noted. With the mirrors fitted,
we towed the Iona over the
same, circular route back to our
starting point. The route chosen
started in the Lincolnshire village
of Barrowby. After a short drive
through the village the outfit
emerged onto the A52 for
about half a mile before turning
south onto the busy A1 dual
carriageway. The next exit took
us into the outskirts of
Grantham before turning west
along the A607 as far as
Harlaxton. Here the route
followed a narrow country lane,
over the Grantham canal,
around two sharp right-angled
bends and back to Barrowby
along the bumpiest section of
the course.
During the drive the mirrors'
performance was noted,
particularly the amount of
vibration.
We assessed each mirror's
construction and aesthetics.
Most importantly the view from
the same point at the start/finish
was assessed.
BEST FOR
VALUE
MGI
Safety Mirror Convex
£9.98 per pair
A great value, well made rubber
This mirror is designed to fit onto
strap-type mirror. This convex
vehicles with large mirrors, like
version gives a wider view than the
4x4s. It has longer arms and straps
flat glass model.
than the MGI Safety Mirror but fits
The lower arms hook to the
to the car using the same principle.
bottom of the car mirror. The top
The hinges are more towards the
arm is pulled up around the back of
car end of each arm. Because of
the car mirror and is hooked onto
the longer arms it can be used in
its top edge. If it isn't tight enough
the vertical position without too
the mirror can be removed and the
much of the horizontal view.
straps adjusted by pulling them
It was very easy to set up and
through adjusting loops on the
fitting to our Passat CC was simple.
mirror arm. Once adjusted to fit
As it is designed for larger mirrors
your car mirrors, they are quick and
the rubber tensioning straps are
easy to use each time you tow.
rather long and needed tucking in
With the straps tight the
underneath the tensioned
mirrors were perfectly
part of the strap. This
WHAT
secure. With car mirrors
gave it a secure feel,
TO PAY
that reduce in width
though.
The prices we've quoted here
and depth towards
The flat glass
are the recommended retail
their outer edge care
gave
a good mirror
prices. Many of these products
should be taken to
image with just a
may be offered at a different
ensure the outer strap is
little distortion
price in a caravan
accessory shop or
tight and not likely to slip
around the edges.
online.
off while driving.
The field of view was
The mirror image was good,
surprisingly good for a flat
with just a little distortion around the
glass mirror.
outer edges. The convex lens gave
Vibration was noticeable,
a wide field of vision.
particularly on the bumpy section of
On the road vibration was
the route.
noticeable on both the dual
It is well constructed and
carriageway and the bumpy section
conforms to European regulations.
of the route. This is less problematic
As a budget priced towing mirror
with the convex version than it is
for larger vehicles the Steady XL
with the flat lens model.
represents really good value.
BUY THIS IF…
BUY THIS IF…
Your car has average-sized door mirrors
and you don't tow very often
You own a larger car or van and only tow
occasionally
OUR VERDICT
OUR VERDICT
82/100
A great-value towing mirror designed
to fit most cars. Performed well but
vibration may be an issue.
| 48 Caravan Buyer
MGI
Steady XL
£14.99 per pair
79/100
Well-made and ideal for larger car
mirrors. Easy to fit with a clear view
but some vibration.
If your caravan is
wider than the rear
of your tow car then
you need to fit
towing mirrors. This
pretty much applies
to all vehicles towing
a standard width
caravan.
You must be able
to see clearly down
both sides of the
caravan in a straight
line to a distance of
20 metres behind it.
You should also be
able to see out to a
distance of four
metres either side of
the caravan.
To comply fully
with this law you
need to fit a towing
mirror to both sides
of the towcar.
Not complying
with the law could
cost you dearly in
points on your
licence and in fines.
One final point. If
your towcar was
sold after January
2007 (or it comforms
to directive 2003/97
EC) the towing
mirrors must not
project more than
25cm further than
the width of the
caravan. If your
towcar was sold
before January 2007
it mustn't project
further than 20cm.
It is also a legal
requirement to only
use E marked,
type-approved
mirrors.
OUR THANKS…
To Grantham
Caravans for the loan
of the Swift Iona used
in this test
FLAT OR CONVEX
MGI
Steady View
£19.99 per pair
The Steady View mirror is a cross
between the rubber strap type and
the screw clamp type.
It clamps over the top edge of
the car's mirror and screws tight.
As added security two adjustable
rubber tensioning straps run around
the back of the car's mirror and clip
to its bottom edge.
An adjustable metal arm locates
into the recesses in the two clamp
assemblies.
Unusually, the twin pack contains
both a flat and a convex mirror. We
used the convex option on the
driver's side to give as wide a view
as possible and the flat on the
passenger side to allow a closer
look at the inside line of sight.
It was very easy to set up and to
fit. With the straps as well as the
screw clamps, it felt very secure.
The screws themselves have plastic
threads screwing into brass inserts.
There is also a safety lanyard to
prevent it flying away whilst towing.
Unfortunately, this mirror's image
was distorted across most of its
surface giving a strange view of what
is happening behind you. Good field
of vision and there's no problem
seeing that something is overtaking,
though. On the vibration front it is
pretty good. It comes complete
with a bag for each mirror.
BUY THIS IF…
Maypole
Extension Deluxe
Towing Mirror Flat
£27.98 per pair
Maypole
Extension Deluxe
Towing Mirror Convex
£27.98 per pair
This offering from Maypole has a
This is exactly the same mirror as
similar arrangement in terms of its
the Maypole Extension Deluxe
fixings to the MGI Steady View.
Towing Mirror Flat but with a convex
It has two screw clamps that fit on
lens.
the top edge of the car's mirror. A
There were the same problems
rubber strap, that connects to the
with fitting as with the flat version.
metal arm of the mirror, runs
In order to open up the
around the back of the
wide enough to fit
BACKING gap
car's mirror and hooks
onto the car's mirror
onto the bottom
the protector pads
Reversing in a straight line with
towing mirrors fitted is pretty
edge. Adjustment to
tended to pop off
straightforward. Keep an eye on
this strap is acheived
the end of the
both sides of the caravan and
by pulling it through a
screws. A
as soon as you see movement in
loop on the plastic
combination
of
one of the mirrors turn the
hook.
unscrewing as far as
steering wheel towards
that mirror.
The screw clamps
we dare and then
have plastic threads and
pushing the mirror home
plastic screws. The rubber
onto the car's mirrors was the only
protectors that fit onto the end of
way to acheive success. A slightly
these screws are not very secure
wider gap on the clamp body
and have a tendency to fall off.
would certainly help with this
These mirrors were a little fiddly
problem. This convex version gave
to set up. Fitting was also slightly
a wider field of view and therefore a
difficult as the screw clamps didn't
better idea of what is going on
want to open up enough to allow
behind you.
them to fit onto the curve of the
Out on the road the vibration was
car's mirror.
similar to the flat version but the
Once on the car, they were
view was better due to the convex
secure thanks to the strap. The
lens lessening the effects.
mirror image was good, although
Without the problems of fitting
the field of vision was limited
this mirror to our towcar it would be
because of the flat glass.
a perfectly good product. The
There was a little distortion when
rubber strap, combined with the
viewing the passenger side.
screw clamps, make it very secure.
BUY THIS IF…
BUY THIS IF…
If you want a secure mirror at a
reasonable price
Your car mirror is oblong rather than an
oval shape
The curve on your mirror is not too
severe
OUR VERDICT
OUR VERDICT
OUR VERDICT
77/100
You're not going to lose this on the
move! Very little vibration and good
field of vision. Shame about the image.
Some of us prefer to
have flat glass
towing mirrors and
some of us prefer
convex. But which is
best? There's only
one way to find out.
Fight!
No, it's really a
question of personal
preference. Some
drivers find it difficult
to judge distances
with a convex mirror
while others prefer
the wider view they
give.
After testing this
selection of towing
mirrors I would
definitely be in the
convex camp. For me
the difference
between the convex
car mirror and a flat
towing mirror is
slightly confusing –
and this is from
someone who has
been towing for over
20 years with flat
glass towing mirrors!
When I first bought
some towing mirrors
I didn't even think
about it. After a while
you get used to what
you've got and live
with it over the
lifetime of the mirrors
– which, in my case
was 20 years.
Now I would plump
for convex every time
but the choice is
yours.
62/100
This towing mirror didn't suit our test
car's mirror. On a car with a squarer
shaped mirror it would be fine.
66/100
Not the easiest mirror to fit on to our
test car. It's well made, though plastic
threads may cause problems long term.
www.outandaboutlive.co.uk | September 2013 49 |
➧
Accessories ➧ On test Towing mirrors
Modern car mirrors are often far from square in shape and can be very deep.
Do make sure that the towing mirrors you buy will actually fit your car.
WIDE BOYS
BUYING TOWING
MIRRORS
Nip down to your local caravan
dealer and pick up the cheapest
towing mirrors on the shelf. No
problem? Wrong!
As our test here shows, buying
a towing mirror is not quite as
straightforward as it may seem.
Towing mirrors come in a wide
variety of types and prices from
the basic rubber strap type right
the way through to top end,
remote control adjustable model
tested here. Fortunately you don't
have to spend over £300 to get a
decent towing mirror.
The most important thing to
decide is: Will it fit your towcar's
mirror? You may tow with a 4x4 or
perhaps a van, in which case the
mirrors on the vehicle may be
much larger than those on an
average car. Even if you have an
average car, mirrors are often far
from square in shape and can be
very deep. Do make sure that the
towing mirrors you buy will actually
fit your car.
If you opt for the rubber strap
type these will be easy to fit once
you have adjusted them for your
vehicle. Generally speaking, though
cheaper, this type of mirror will
suffer from more vibration than the
screw clamp type. In our test some
mirrors have both, which you may
feel is the most secure option.
The screw clamp type is also
very easy to fit if your car's mirror is
not too curved. If it is, you will need
to make sure that the clamps on
the mirror are wide enough to
accommodate the curve.
An important thing you will need
to decide is whether you want flat
glass or convex mirrors. Some
models are supplied in a choice of
convex or flat; others don't give
you that option. If you can't decide
which is best you might opt for a
model that gives you both flat and
convex mirrors in the one unit like
the Maypole Extension Large Dual
Towing Mirror.
| 50 Caravan Buyer
Maypole
Extension Towing
Mirrors
£28.99 per pair
Maypole
Extension Large Dual
Towing Mirror
£29.98 per pair
A mirror with a slightly different twist.
This towing mirror is a rubber strap
It has plastic retaining straps with an
type with a difference. It has both a
adjustable bracket at the top. This
flat glass mirror and a convex one in
sturdy convex mirror has a chrome
the same unit.
arm which gives a quality feel to it.
The rubber straps are long and
Set-up was a little fiddly because
adjustable and the arms have
each strap has two rubber suckers
hinges closest to the car end, which
which are a difficult push-fit. If you
enables it to be fixed to larger car
don't get them in properly they will
mirrors.
fall out when you try to fit the mirror
As with all of this type of mirror it
to the car.
is pretty much straight out of the
Each of the retaining straps come
box and straight on to the car. Take
in two parts that clip together. The
it off and adjust it, then back on
bottom part hooks over the bottom
again. Simple. It felt pretty secure,
edge of the car's mirror. The
too, and the vibration, though
top strap connects to an
not the best on test, was
E11
adjustable clamp that
certainly more than
hooks over the top
acceptable.
The E markings on a towing mirror
edge of the car's
The flat glass
demonstrate that it conforms to EU
mirror.
regulations and it is therefore legal section is large and
On our Passat CC to use in the UK. The number after gives a good, clear
the E tells you where it was
the depth of the
view. The convex part
tested. The UK number
mirror was almost too
is very convex and
is 11
much for the straps,
takes a bit of getting used
even on their longest
to. It gave a good view down
setting, which left the mirror a little
the side of the caravan because it is
too near the outer edge of the car's
at the outermost point on the mirror
mirror. The mirror image was good,
casing.
with a wide field of vision. On the
My only problem with this towing
road it performed well on the
mirror was getting used to looking
vibration front.
at two completely different images
The mirrors, which are supplied in
at the same time. With the car's
pairs, are well made with metal
own mirror as well, I found it difficult
threads throughout.
for my brain to take in.
BUY THIS IF…
BUY THIS IF…
The mirror on you towcar is relatively
small
Your mirror is not too large or deeply
raked
OUR VERDICT
OUR VERDICT
72/100
A good quality mirror that looks good
on the car. Watch out for those pesky
rubber suckers, though
81/100
A quality mirror that gives you both
flat and convex views. The outer
convex section is very narrow
If you tow a widebodied caravan you
are still bound by the
same rule of law –
you must be able to
see 20 metres behind
your caravan in a
straight line and four
metres out from
either side.
With this in mind
you may find
standard towing
mirrors don't make
you legal and this
could cost you if you
are stopped by the
police.
Some
manufacturers,
including Milenco,
supply extra long
arms to fit their
mirror range. Worth
thinking about if your
existing mirrors don't
do the job properly.
LIABILITIES
BEST FOR
LOOKS
Milenco
Aero 2 Towing Mirrors
£47.99 per pair
Milenco
Grand Aero Towing
Mirrors
£58.99 per pair
Arguably the smartest looking
towing mirrors you can buy. Aero
Almost like the Aero 2's big brother.
mirrors have been around since
Manufactured with the same
2007 and we now have the Aero 2.
precision, with quality clamps and
Two beautifully made clamps, an
screws but with a bigger mirror.
arm and a quality mirror is really all
The Grand Aero is simplicity itself
that this towing accessory is about.
to set up with easy adjustments for
It really is simple to set these
a perfect fit. It felt very secure on
mirrors up. Straight out of the box
our test towcar.
and straight on to the car's mirror
The image quality is very
just about sums it up. The
good and the field of
TWO'S
slender clamps slide onto
vision is vast. A
COMPANY
the car's mirrors without
convex mirror of
interfering with their
this size is always
The recommended retail price
movement. The
going to give you
quoted in our test are for a pair of
stainless steel-threaded
a brilliant rear
mirrors in each case, even where
they are actually sold separately.
bolts tighten effortlessly
view.
This is to make the
into the brass inserts
On the road,
price comparison more
making a secure fixing.
performance was
accurate
The image quality is very
excellent with the
good with just a hint of
huge mirror almost
distortion around the edges of the
dwarfing the Passat CC's own.
mirror. The field of view was wide
With such a good view behind, you
and clear.
always felt aware of what was
In our road test the vibration was
happening.
hardly noticeable, even on the
Vibration was minimal and with
bumpy section.
such a large convex mirror there
The aerodynamic design makes
was no discernible interruption to
the Aero 2 look stylish and
your view.
unobtrusive.
The mirror can also be used in an
A thoroughly good product that
upright position to give you a
should fit most car mirrors easily.
complete, top-to-bottom, view
They are sold singly or in pairs and
down the side of the caravan.
come with a useful bag to keep
Like its smaller brother, the Grand
them clean.
Aero had a bag for storage.
BUY THIS IF…
BUY THIS IF…
Reich
Handy Mirror XL
Super Flex
£75.18 per pair
This towing mirror is designed for
larger cars and vans. In fact it
looked a little over the top for the
CC's mirrors but if you are looking
for something for larger door
mirrors, this could easily fit the bill.
It has a ratchet tensioning system
that gives a satisfyingly secure feel
when fitted.
The huge convex mirror has two
long arms that attach to an adjustable
bar – this allows the mirrors to be
pulled out even further if you have a
wide-bodied caravan. On each bar
are two ladder hooks. On the lower
bar two rubber straps, which are
connected to a ratchet, clip into the
ladder hooks while on the top bar
two ratchet straps attach in the same
way. The ratchet straps slide through
the ratchet making the loop which
passes over the car's mirror. The
tension of these straps is achieved by
operating the ratchet until it is tight.
Sounds complicated but it is a
straightforward procedure to set it
up. Once securely fastened to the
towcar mirror, it was rock steady.
The mirror image was superb
with no distortion visible. The field of
view was massive and vibration
was insignificant.
Superbly made and great for cars
with larger mirrors.
BUY THIS IF…
You do a lot of towing and want a quality
mirror to last you for years
You want to see more behind you than
just about any other mirror on the market
You own a vehicle with a larger than
average mirror and you want quality
OUR VERDICT
OUR VERDICT
OUR VERDICT
87/100
Hard to fault. Not cheap but worth it
in the long run. A pleasure to use and
good all-round performance.
We tend not to think
about the worst case
scenarios because it
will never happen to
us but what if your
towing mirror came
off while you are
towing?
In a case like this
you are actually liable
for any damage or
injury caused by your
errant towing mirror.
It's worth a
thought next time you
are tightening those
retaining straps prior
to towing.
It's also worth
checking the
condition of the
rubber straps. Rubber
perishes over time
and, just like caravan
tyres, can crack and
lose its strength.
Whatever towing
mirrors you buy, be
safe on the roads.
86/100
A larger, heavier version of the Aero 2.
Very well made, easy to fit to any car
and a great performance.
81/100
A well engineered mirror that was a bit
more fiddly to set up than some. Looks
slightly odd on small car mirrors.
www.outandaboutlive.co.uk | September 2013 51 |
➧
Accessories ➧ On test Towing mirrors
Reich Handy Mirror XL Extended £75.18 per pair
BEST
OVERALL
Another towing mirror
for wider caravans from
Reich.
This one looks more
at home on an
average-sized family car
than Super Flex but
performs equally as well.
It has the same
ratchet tensioning system, too. Each
end of the straps hooks on to ladder
hooks attached to the top and
bottom arms of the mirror. Tensioning
is achieved by operating the
rubber-backed ratchet which moves
the ratchet strap to tighten everything
up. To release the rachet strap to
take the mirror off, you simply press a
release button on the back of the
ratchet. It is a very clever system that
works well.
Needless to say the mirror felt very
secure once the easy set-up and
fitting was complete.
The mirror image was superb; pin
sharp with just a hint of distortion when
looking across to the passenger side
mirror. The field of vision was greater
than that of the car's mirror with an
excellent view down the caravan sides.
On the road the mirror hardly
moved, even on the bumpy section.
A really good quality mirror that
impresses at all levels.
BUY THIS IF…
You are looking for a superb mirror,
especially if you have a wide-bodied
caravan
OUR VERDICT
89/100
Can't really fault it. Superb quality, clear
and wide image. Possibly too wide if
you are towing a narrow caravan with a
wide towcar.
Reich Mirror Control £346.46
Here's one for those of
us for whom money is
no object. The Mirror
Control adjusts from
inside your towcar using
an infra-red remote
control. Sounds great
until you see the price!
To be fair, it is a very
good mirror as well as the ultimate in
tow mirror tech. Setting up was
inevitably time consuming. Batteries
are needed both in the remote control
and the mirrors. Then you need to
program it so that the up-and-down
and side-to-side movement of the
mirrors synchronises with the remote
control. Once set up, it is easy to fit to
the car's mirror. Two hooks fit around
the top edge of the towcar's mirror
and one fits at the bottom. They
meet in the middle at the back of the
car's mirror where a bracket joins
them together. The mirror arm slides
through the middle of the bracket.
It was secure and had a good view
through the two large mirrors. The
field of vision was also very good.
Vibration was low for what is quite
a heavy mirror.
It is a quality product that looks
pretty cool but you have to ask yourself
how often do you need to adjust your
towing mirrors once they are set up?
BUY THIS IF…
You like gadgets enough to spend over
£300
OUR VERDICT
81/100
Great product, shame about the price!
It's really good at what it does.
Towing
mirrors
MGI MGI
MGI MaypoleMaypoleMaypoleMaypole Milenco Milenco Reich Reich Reich
Safety
Steady Steady Deluxe Deluxe Extension Large
Aero 2 Grand Handy Handy
Mirror
Mirror
XL
View
Flat
Convex MP8323 Dual
Aero Mirror XL Mirror XL Control
MP8328
MP8327MP8324Super Flex
Extended
RRP Per pair
£9.98 £14.99£19.99£27.98£27.98£28.99£29.98£47.99£58.99£75.18 £75.18 £346.46
BEST FOR
BEST FOR
BEST
VALUE
LOOKS
OVERALL
QUANTITY SOLD INSingle Pair PairSingleSinglePairSingleBoth Pair SingleSingle Both
MIRROR GLASS TYPEConvex 1 Flat Flat Flat ConvexConvex Both ConvexConvexConvex Convex Convex
1 Convex
FITTING TYPE
Straps Straps Screw Screw Screw Screw Strap Screw Screw Rachet Rachet Screw
+ strap + strap +strap
strap
strap with strap
EASE OF SET UP
9/10
9/10
9/10
7/10
7/10 8/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10
10/10
6/10
EASE OF FITTING 9/10 9/109/106/106/106/109/1010/1010/108/1010/10 8/10
SECURITY OF FIT 8/10 8/109/107/107/106/109/1010/1010/109/1010/10 8/10
VISIBILITY
8/10 8/105/107/108/108/108/108/109/109/10 9/10 9/10
FIELD OF VISION 8/10 8/108/106/107/108/108/109/109/109/1010/10 9/10
VIBRATION
14/20 14/2017/2012/2014/2018/2017/2018/2018/1019/10 19/20 18/10
CONSTRUCTION 8/10 8/107/107/107/107/108/109/109/109/1010/10 9/10
AESTHETICS
8/10 8/108/107/107/108/108/1010/109/107/10 9/10 9/10
VALUE FOR MONEY 10/107/105/103/103/103/104/103/102/102/10 2/10 5/10
OUT OF 100
total
82 797762667281878681 89 81
| 52 Caravan Buyer