Interesting wing Mirror replacements

ceejayt

ceejayt

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RS Elysian A Class
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Look good and much less chance of losing your wing mirror in a clash - not sure how and if it might affect insurance or indeed whether they are actually legal but Merc are fitting them.

Screens on the inside pillars.

No idea how much
 
Interesting but I’m starting to wonder about all this technical stuff replacing tried and tested stuff. There’s so much to go wrong on vans now, everything is push button. Remember the days when you had to pull a step out ? Shock horror. I’ve had every Thule electric step go wrong after a while. Just more future problems?
Phil
 
I think whatI like about these is the lack of restriction on sight line at junctions that I sometimes have with my mirrors on my A Class - quite simply, they can actually block the view and some leaning backwards and forwards to make sure nothing is coming at a junction can be necessary before pulling out.

However, mirrors don't go wrong (unless smashed) and technology does gave a habit...
 
ceejayt said:
quite simply, they can actually block the view and some leaning backwards and forwards to make sure nothing is coming at a junction can be necessary
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You must have the top-mounted ones. Mine are a nightmare at roundabouts to the extent that I considered moving them to where they were designed to be. The LH one on mine is an inverted bottom-mount RH and the RH one the opposite. I've had one apart and the design and markings inside confirmed my suspicions. The giveaway from the outside is the top-mounted blindspot mirror.

1624790995142.jpeg
 
The cameras do indeed look interesting but it is my understanding that they have to be homologated to the vehicle, you can have these as an option on Mercedes Actros based MORELO and Concorde as they are homologated to the base chassis, Le Voyager were showing them at the NEC a few years ago but that was on IVECO daily.

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It’s a matter of time before these become standard. They are already on some cars, think it was a Honda that I saw them on, and some new lorries.

Not sure what will happen if cars with them fitted decide to become tuggers.
 
This is the car I saw that doesn’t have wing mirrors.

Electric Vision

Discover more about Honda’s commitment to a full electrified line-up in Europe by 2022 and our future targets for 2030.
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tonyidle said:
You must have the top-mounted ones. Mine are a nightmare at roundabouts to the extent that I considered moving them to where they were designed to be. The LH one on mine is an inverted bottom-mount RH and the RH one the opposite. I've had one apart and the design and markings inside confirmed my suspicions. The giveaway from the outside is the top-mounted blindspot mirror.
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Yes, similar -as you say they can be difficult. However, the forward mounted ones can be equally as obstructive, just at a different point.
 
Ok until you lose one , unlike a normal mirror which can be replaced at reasonable cost almost instantaneously as hgv off road until replaced

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Currently Merc are the only ones doing mirror cam and the merc main dealer callout vans carry replacement mirrors
Personally I would be very wary of having them fitted on any lower than a high cab artic because some pratt in a white van (other colour vans are available) will get too close and take the camera off
 
I think they are great.
Like ceejayt my bus mirrors are a pain at roundabouts although they are OK in normal driving conditions.
I see loads of trucks with the cam mirrors fitted now and if the price was half decent I would have them like a shot.

Richard.
 
ceejayt said:
Yes, similar -as you say they can be difficult. However, the forward mounted ones can be equally as obstructive, just at a different point.
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I've made dummies to test them mounted the other way up and below the side windows and they don't cause the same problem. I have to admit that high up they're out of reach of white van man but in danger of contact with HGVs. Cameras would be better & with more choice of mounting posiotions.
 
We use them in work. Absolute garbage. Its like watching TV in sd. If you wear reading glasses to read but don't wear glasses otherwise, then you can't focus focus both mirrors. In the night and in poor visibility ie rain etc they're even worse. There's no depth and it makes it very difficult to judge the distance of vehicles coming from behind you. Also the vehicles with HD headlights look like flashing lights and are blurry. Personally i am amazed how they passed legislation. Be very aware approaching/ passing one of these vehicles in poor weather conditions. I and a few of my work mates have refused to drive them. Even those that do drive them don't like them.
Oh and if they fail (and they do) when you're exercising some kind of manoeuvre like being in the outside lane overtaking then you have to try and get back in without having an accident.
Steer clear is my advice.
 
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Thank you for your email, unfortunately it is not available yet as we are waiting the certifications before we can sell them.

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Colino said:
We use them in work. Absolute garbage. Its like watching TV in sd. If you wear reading glasses to read but don't wear glasses otherwise, then you can't focus focus both mirrors. In the night and in poor visibility ie rain etc they're even worse. There's no depth and it makes it very difficult to judge the distance of vehicles coming from behind you. Also the vehicles with HD headlights look like flashing lights and are blurry. Personally i am amazed how they passed legislation. Be very aware approaching/ passing one of these vehicles in poor weather conditions. I and a few of my work mates have refused to drive them. Even those that do drive them don't like them.
Oh and if they fail (and they do) when you're exercising some kind of manoeuvre like being in the outside lane overtaking then you have to try and get back in without having an accident.
Steer clear is my advice.
Click to expand...
These seem to be next generation HD. Would want to see them in action before committing.
 
Colino said:
We use them in work. Absolute garbage. Its like watching TV in sd. If you wear reading glasses to read but don't wear glasses otherwise, then you can't focus focus both mirrors. In the night and in poor visibility ie rain etc they're even worse. There's no depth and it makes it very difficult to judge the distance of vehicles coming from behind you. Also the vehicles with HD headlights look like flashing lights and are blurry. Personally i am amazed how they passed legislation. Be very aware approaching/ passing one of these vehicles in poor weather conditions. I and a few of my work mates have refused to drive them. Even those that do drive them don't like them.
Oh and if they fail (and they do) when you're exercising some kind of manoeuvre like being in the outside lane overtaking then you have to try and get back in without having an accident.
Steer clear is my advice.
Click to expand...
Several high-end cars have them now. The best ones have such a good dynamic range that when you are driving at night, you can see whole cars and roadside features rather than just a pair of blinding headlights. They can also provide a wide angle with less distortion than a mirror.

Disadvantages are that moving your head doesn't give a better angle, and you do lose some depth perception.
 
The blindspot is still there with these mirrors as they are mounted on the A pillar and block some of your view . Because of this they are closer to the driver than a conventional mirror and again when driving at night it is like having a TV screen in your face for however long your journey is, causing eye strain and headaches. When using them on a clear night I can just about see the end of my 13m trailer. When using conventional mirrors I can see for quarter of a mile back.
On our trucks for the wide angle view we have to press a switch to move the camera which then alters your main view so not very practical there. They have lines on the mirrors which indicate it is safe to pull in when overtaking.
The newer versions might be better but I wouldn't buy without trying. Especially at night in poor weather.
One of the reasons a lot of companies are using them now is because of the new technology they were offered the trucks for less money than one with conventional mirrors 🤔
 
Water droplets on the tiny lens? Salt spray in winter? I think they may need a self-cleaning gizmo to function adequately in all conditions.

Apparently in Japan you can buy a small accessory fan for such cameras, to blow the water droplets off. That's verging on ridiculous.


For me, the best thing about the good old Ducato mirrors as well as simplicity are their size. Big is good. Spiders love them too.
 

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