Wing Mirrors - How often do they get damaged

[Yrag]

Hi all
Whats everyones experience at having their wing mirrors damaged
A relative new MH driver with a 6m Autotrail, I’ve now had to replace the driver side glass or plastic indicator covers, 4 times in the last 3 years. The last time twice within a week on country roads
They’re not expensive to replace (£10-£15) or difficult to fit, but its the inconvenience and annoyance of being hit by a fellow MH driver or white van man
Do you just accept its part of the motor homing experience and that it’s going to happen once / twice a year.
Or should I just drive on Motorways

 

[suavecarve]

Twice in 8 years without mirror guards. No replacements in 6 years since

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

If your replacing your drivers side mirror that often then you must be driving too close to the centre of the road or not giving way.

 

[Jo662]

Get a set of these asap.

Mirror Guard Ltd: Wing Mirror Protection From Damage

Protect accidental damage to wing mirrors with MirrorGuard; the simple and cost-effective way to safeguard you against costly repairs.

www.mirrorguard.co.uk

 

[DBK]

Never lost one in 50,000+ miles in our PVC.

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[Two on Tour]

MirrorGuards, fit and the problem goes away.

 

[Engineer999]

Survived 2 uk drivers side strikes (with Millenco mirror guards) against oncoming vehicle mirrors, 3rd strike, in Carcassonne against a kamikaze French MH resulted in mirror slapping back against near side window. Mirror Guard survived but glass and internals were toast! At least we had something to stick a temporary replacement mirror to!

 

[Lenny HB]

It does happen occasionally but it sounds like you are not taking enough care with your driving.
Drive much slower on country roads so you have time to pull over or stop when a large vehicle comes towards you and make sure you keep well over to the nearside especially in France.

 

[Holly's mum]

MirrorGuards, fit and the problem goes away.

Until the MirrorGuard falls off on Italian roads

 

[Stealaway]

Only a couple of times in the early days and mostly saved by them folding back to the door

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[AndyLaika]

Another vote for Mirror guards..
We had a LHD drive van for years, never hit the mirrors once..
Picked up our new ( RHD) drive van which is also slightly wider, just after picking it up, I bashed the passenger side mirror on a country lane in Devon, it folded back and the mirrors were hanging on the wires, without the guards my guess it would have been replacement mirror time.
I'm driving slower in these situations now, after all I'm driving my van for relaxation!

 

[seasideBill]

Until the MirrorGuard falls off on Italian roads

Yep, that’s my experience especially in hot weather when the glue softens. Folks tell me I’m not fitting them right, but there’s much you can get wrong e.g. clean casing thoroughly, fit adhesive pans and mate the two surfaces firmly. Next time they fall off repeat process using thicker 3M pads and they still fall off

 

[Roby2008]

1 x mirror clash in 9yrs 98,000 km, no guards so new mirror body req, glass was ok .......Guards would have saved it so will think about it on the next MH.

We all have habits we are not aware of when driving, I am a white liner and her indoors is a kerb hugger ( and serial wheel kerber).....

 

[Guigsy]

I drove about 30k miles in my previous PVC and never clashed my mirrors.

I changed to a coachbuild and it's certainly more work on narrow lanes. Coach style mirrors don't help! Done about 10k in the past 2 years. Not hit a hard object yet, but I've been wincingly close on several occasions. I've had to get a lot more comfortable with combing the hedgerows than I used to. I've got helicopter tape over them, which mitigates most of the damage. Just got to drive slower when it's getting tight.

If I see something coming the other way, I jink over early and slow, then drive straight at a constant speed, leaving myself a small amount of breathing room if it gets close. I find people behave better if they see you've made the effort and can better judge the gap. Being overly aggressive and having a battle of wills and swerving at the last moment isn't a good strategy. Best option is to anticipate so you pass in wider bits, but that's not always possible.

If you're frequently using winding roads with no centre line, I find it's fairly common to have to slow down to a near stop and bury the mirror in a hedge while the other vehicle passes. Much better than testing who has the most forgiving plastics.

 

[steve69]

Mirror protectors have saved my mirrors several times. Will have to renew them soon as they are cracked to buggery.

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[tonka]

1 in 20 years and 8 motorhomes.
AND I blame the other guy as i had right of way.. Luckily an easy fix with ebay parts..

 

[PP Bear]

Been hit on the drivers side mirror twice, both times by a Landrover Discovery, with lady drivers (just saying cos it’s factual) when they came around a bend and both on the wrong side of the road. No damage, less the small lower glass popping out.

Never had to change anything from an impact, especially the indicator.

 

[L' Hobo]

MirrorGuards, fit and the problem goes away.

How? Are the mirrors sticking out too far, you still have as many hits but not braking glass because you have guards fitted, or someone is driving too close.
If number 1, I would try short arm mirrors as are fitted to PVC's. If 2, still be afraid of mirror slamming into door window and breaking it. If 3, drive more carefully?

 

[pagey]

my favourite is to brush the toll booth getting close so mrs p can reach the ticket but never broken one

 

[L' Hobo]

Yep, that’s my experience especially in hot weather when the glue softens. Folks tell me I’m not fitting them right, but there’s much you can get wrong e.g. clean casing thoroughly, fit adhesive pans and mate the two surfaces firmly. Next time they fall off repeat process using thicker 3M pads and they still fall off

Get some Blue tack mix well and put a dollop between the mirror and guard and press together. It worked on my Coaches, can't see why it wouldn't on MH's? Remember to clean surfaces well before applying.

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[busby]

60 years of driving , 30 years H.G.V.s I have lost two,,one on my old Astra and one on a truck...,Could be just lucky but when it's narrow I make it narrower to slow oncoming down and leaving space on n/s to swerve into..Much easier to do in a truck BUSBY

 

[Brianmor]

A few years ago I rented a motorhome in Eire and going up a mountain pass almost touching the rocks to my nearside a trade van came past and smashed the mirror. The rental company were holding a £1000 deposit which I knew I would lose so I found a Fiat dealer the next day who fitted a new mirror for 400 euros. As soon as I bought my own motorhome I invested in Mirror Guards and they have not let me down.

 

[Dilbert]

Stick your hand out of the window and flip it in on a narrow road ( or when parked ) also look out for the odd branch poking out of the hedge etc

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Highlighting the outside front edge with a highviz sticker of some kind also helps I have found, it gives oncoming drivers an edge to focus on.
Mike

 

[stevewagner]

None in 45 years and 19 campers/motorhomes.

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[L' Hobo]

None in 45 years and 19 campers/motorhomes.

You don't do the driving then?

 

[Ridgeway]

I can solve your problem immediately. Just buy a set of spares (glass and mirror unit) and that guarantees that you’ll never ever need to use them, better still if you carry them around in your van, that’s the best good luck charm you can have

 

[68c]

Highlighting the outside front edge with a highviz sticker of some kind also helps I have found, it gives oncoming drivers an edge to focus on.
Mike

As in Target Fixation.

 

[cyberyacht]

I never was hit when I had my short-arm ones on the Marquis(Accordo). Both sides have been clouted on the Carthago. Driver side by the Minehead-Lynton vintage bus. Nearside by a French fire engine and he wasn't even on blues and twos, just chugging down a road by the local park. Fortunately, given the price of them, neither sustained anything other than a bit of T-cut treatment.

 

[dunnah01]

Never hit them but replaced the covers beacause the previous owner obviously had

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