Category: Maxi View Blind Spot Mirrors

Towing a trailer for the first time should be tackled with care, planning and an emphasis on safety.

Firstly you must make sure you have hitched up correctly. Double check the towing attachment and ensure safe locking in place. You need the trailer still there when you reach your destination. Make sure the licence plate is in the right place and that the lights are all connected up. Any load and contents must be secure.

You will no longer be driving your normal car, which you have grown comfortable with over the years. You new, combined vehicle will be longer, wider and heavier and you will need to practise to familiarize yourself with its characteristics. What is the turning circle and pull-away speed? What does it feel like when you apply the brakes? Can you back up and still keep control of the car and the trailer?

Check the view now you have a trailer behind. You will find the side mirrors are not enough and the rear view mirror may now be useless. You should experiment with blind spot mirrors. These should be fitted usually with extensions so that your breadth of vision is improved. You need to be able to see as much as possible to the side and rear. Blind spot mirrors will complement the existing side mirrors. You can also buy complete replacement mirrors which can be extended either manually or electrically. These give more flexibility.

When you get out on the road, there will still be blind spots and you need to know where these are and remember they can hide a lot. Be wary of lane changing. You will not have the acceleration you used to have to pull out into small gaps. Consider others and give them plenty of notice of your movements.

You have your new motor home and want to get away on vacation. However, a motor home is not the same as a car and you need to plan before you set off. Safety is the issue!

1. Make sure your moveable items big and small are secure. Anything that could move and break needs to be locked away. Larger items, such as chairs, should be tied down. They might not break if they moved, but they would destabilise the vehicle you are driving.
2. Lock all doors and windows, both inside and out. You do not want them moving, slamming or breaking whilst you are driving. Exterior openings in particular must be secure. An opening door or sky-light could catch the wind and drag the vehicle dangerously.
3. Check your flammable substances. Any heating oil or cooking gas should be secured most carefully and kept away from possible heat sources such as the engine or exhaust.
4. All taps should be off and cables and hoses secure. You do not need a gas leak or water flood in the middle of your journey. A simple double-check could save a lot of danger and damage later.
5. Roof storage. If you have this, ensure it will neither fall off nor catch the wind during travel.
6. Check the brakes with a full load, before you have gone far, so you are comfortable with the response and confident of their efficiency.
7. Check blind spots. Investigate the blind spots to your new long vehicle. Invest in some blind spot mirrors and practice using them. You will still have blind spots, so check where they are and how to reduce their effect by head movement. Adjust your mirrors to get the best coverage.
8. Get a good map and off you go!

If you are driving a vehicle which is towing something wider than the rear of your vehicle, you are going to need a towing mirror. Otherwise, all you are going to see out of the existing side mirrors is the trailer, caravan or broken down vehicle you are towing.

Most towing mirrors are physical extensions to the side mirrors you already have. So you end up with two mirrors, showing two different views. When towing you will usually be using the second or outside mirror to see what is coming up alongside.

It takes a while to get used to the technique of looking at the outside mirror and interpreting what you are seeing. The mirror is not where you are used to it being and the perspective is different too.

Just to make things more confusing, some companies offer a flat mirror for the off side and a convex mirror for the near side. That is to take account of the fact that you sit on the off side and so have a closer view. Having a curved mirror gives you more coverage, but once again you get a different perspective. It’s as if your eyes were not on the same level-your whole view of the world would be distorted.

Other companies offer a complete replacement side mirror, which can be extended out on a retractable arm when towing. This reduces the confusion of a plethora of mirrors as you only have one on each side of the vehicle as normal. You can adjust the extension to the length you want and the view you are most comfortable with.

Naturally, any towing mirror will have blind spots and these will be different to those hidden from your usual side mirror and again careful adjustments and familiarization will be needed.

Driving on the road involves sitting yourself in a small (or large) metal box and hurtling along at high speed, relying on the skill and good sense of complete strangers for your survival! Here are some ways to improve your safety:-

1. Keep your vehicle properly maintained. Get the experts on it and keep above the minimum legal requirements.
2. In particular check the tires and brakes. These will work together to get you out of trouble when you most need it. When you need to stop is not the time to find out your brakes are worn or your tires have no grip.
3. Keep checking the brakes whilst driving, particularly in hilly areas and in the wet.
4. Rest. Long roads and long hours are a recipe for disaster. Experienced drivers in particular find driving pretty easy and boring. Sleep is a natural but catastrophic result. Stop at regular intervals, take a walk, have a coffee and go again.
5. Enhance your vision. Keep your lights in working order and use them!
6. Widen your vision. Keep your mirrors properly adjusted. Work out your blind spots when stationary and invest in some blind spot mirrors. Ensure they are properly and securely fitted and learn what they do and do not give you.
7. Watch your speed. You need to be able to stop before you hit the guy in front. Take your time on moving in and out of lanes. This gives those around you a chance to see what you are doing and adjust.
8. Plan your route for your vehicle. You may be familiar with the route in a car, but will your motor home get under that bridge or will your motorbike handle the country lane so well?

Traveling with a trailer gives you a load of new challenges in your driving. You can no longer just hop in and go. You need to pay attention to many safety issues.

Your trailer will add length and probably width to your vehicle. It will certainly also add weight. You will have some articulation between the two parts.

You need to check first that the articulation is secure and the trailer will not be lost in transit! The fail-safe links should be on and all light and brake connections made and checked. The license plate should be moved or duplicated.

Then you need to make sure you can move the trailer where you want it. Can you back up with the joint involved? Take the time to do some practice. Feel the weight and the lower speed when pulling away. You will not be able to make snap decisions now.

Make an assessment of the mirror situation. The rear view mirror may now be blocked. Check the side mirrors and their blind spots. You will have less vision with a trailer on back. You need to consider blind spot mirrors. These may be able to extend further out and give you different angles of vision. They may be wide enough out to allow some view of the area actually behind the trailer. Consider rear view cameras. Familiarize yourself with these new devices. Make sure they are all adjusted appropriately and that you can work with them to cut down the blind spots created by your larger new rig.

Make sure the trailer is properly loaded and everything is secure on it

Check the route carefully. You will need to be aware of height and width restrictions and the condition and status of the roads you may want to use.

Enjoy your trailer travels.

Taking your motor home on vacation should be an exciting adventure. This is your chance to travel freely and stay where you want. Here are some things to think about as you drive.

1. Check all the moveable contents are not going to move about whilst you are driving. Store all crockery and cutlery in lockable areas and make sure that larger items like tables and chairs are properly lashed.
2. Check for dangerous and flammable liquids. Materials like cooking oils, paraffin, heating oils, liquid gas, vehicle gas and even water are all extra hazards. Each container should be checked for leaks and stored where it cannot move and where in the event of a sudden movement or collision, the least risk from such compounds is going to be caused.
3. Check that the hoses and cables are all unattached and are rolled or stored properly so that damage does not occur whilst in transit. Gas taps in particular must be checked.
4. Check that all windows, doors and skylights are locked and will not open in the case of high wind or sudden impact.
5. Check your blind spots. Make sure you are familiar with the dimensions of your motor home and the effect this has on your vision. Invest in some good blind spot mirrors to give yourself the best view possible. Even the most expensive rig will have large blind spots and you should note these with the help of another before you start driving.
6. Check your journey. Be aware of your route, possible hold ups and obstacles. Check if tolls are present and plan your gas stops before you reach an emergency situation.
7. Check you have spares of obvious items, like tires and gas bottles, wiper blades and lashing ropes.

Then, hopefully, you can enjoy your vacation.

As you motor along at high speed, why not take advantage of the space on the freeway and pass the guy in front by switching lanes? This move is not as easy as it looks and can be dangerous.

The problem is that while you are tailing someone, they can see you through their rear view mirror and you can see them. As soon as you start to move there are problems all round.

First off, you have blind spots in your vision. A large area down each side of your car will be invisible to you, even with side mirrors. A car travelling in the adjacent lane, a bit behind you, will not be seen by you. However, it will be hit by you if you move out.

You have to give lots of indication that you intend to move out. When you do move, do so slowly and smoothly, giving time for others to use their horn or move out of the way if there is a problem.

Then you have to consider where you are moving to. As you move alongside the car in front, you will be moving into its blind spot. The driver will not see you and in driving along with all the other distractions, may forget you are there. Are you ready if he decides to move out into your lane? Keep over and be ready to sound your horn to remind him you are there.

As you move past, keeping an eye on the car you are passing, because the job is still not finished. You may now be moving into the blind spot of another car in a lane further out to yours, or of a car in front of the car you are passing. Switching lanes can make you invisible!