Wing mirrors - what is the narrow bottom mirror for?

[TeaBiscuit]

Hello, my motorhome is on a Ducato base, it has wing mirrors with two sections, a main section and a thin strip mirror at the bottom. I have no idea what that's supposed to point at, any ideas?

Thank you

 

[icantremember]

It's supposed to be a blind spot mirror but I find them useless.

 

[Guigsy]

I've got my main mirrors set to point wide so only the very edge of the van is visible. But this still leaves a pretty big blind spot. A car that's in the next lane and pulling past my back wheel will disappear from my mirror, but not yet be visible through the side window. I use the lower mirror angled down to try to catch these. It's also sometimes handy for manoeuvring because you can see the line of the bottom of the van and kerbs. But the passenger side lower mirror really too small, it's barely useful in daylight to make out objects, and useless in the dark.

 

[LesW]

Blind spot mirror, if set up correctly it's very handy for spotting (for instance) motorcyclists alongside you.

 

[Gellyneck]

I've got my main mirrors set to point wide so only the very edge of the van is visible. But this still leaves a pretty big blind spot. A car that's in the next lane and pulling past my back wheel will disappear from my mirror, but not yet be visible through the side window. I use the lower mirror angled down to try to catch these. It's also sometimes handy for manoeuvring because you can see the line of the bottom of the van and kerbs. But the passenger side lower mirror really too small, it's barely useful in daylight to make out objects, and useless in the dark.

Likewise

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[nicholsong]

Hello, my motorhome is on a Ducato base, it has wing mirrors with two sections, a main section and a thin strip mirror at the bottom. I have no idea what that's supposed to point at, any ideas?

Thank you

Yes 'supposed' to be a blind spot mirror, but too small and useless for the purpose.

I think that vehicles the likes of vans and MHs should be equipped with decent sized parabolic mirrors. First thing I fitted. I was lucky to find a pair at Mercedes whose lower contour fits exactly the upper contour of my main mirror housing, so easy to bolt on.

They are about the same width as the main mirror and about half the depth but being parabolic they cover wider fields horizontally and vertically. This gives 3 advantages:-

1 Covers the area down too the ground at half-way along the MH body, which picks up even the lowest sports car.

2 Allows one to see traffic on a M/Way or dual carriageway where the junction is at 45 degrees.

3 Also allows one to see the rear top corner of the MH when reversing near trees/roofs etc.

One has to get used to the fact that vehicles seem further in the parabolic view, but after that mental adjustment they are very useful.

My advice is to always fit a decent-size parabolic mirror. Get a friend to demonstrate one to you to be convinced.

 

[63720]

I also use them to park the passenger side tight on my drive, brilliant!

 

[Trevor Wbm]

If you properly adjust the nearside one, it will show you cyclists sneaking up the nearside, and the rear wheel so you can judge the reverse around a kerb edge. The offside one is, as has been said, useful for covering the blind spot, and maybe reversing in Europe.

(Edit to add: Exactly as Guigsy said ).

 

[ctc]

I use mine to look at the BMWs that like to sit beside me on the motorways.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

I use it for touching up my “Lippy”

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[TDub49]

Blind spot and aid to manoeuvring mirror - really useful, especially if you can adjust remotely. There is an art to setting up the big and little mirror so they work together but if you get it right they are worth all the fiddling.

 

[Guigsy]

Blind spot and aid to manoeuvring mirror - really useful, especially if you can adjust remotely. There is an art to setting up the big and little mirror so they work together but if you get it right they are worth all the fiddling.

On my Geist, the mirrors are adjustable remotely... but it's a right hand drive continental van, so the cab door AND the adjustment knob is on the left side. Have to holler at the better half if I need changes.

 

[gus-lopez]

My blind spot mirrors are fixed ,whereas the main mirror is electrically adjustable. It is very rare i use them, mainly to ensure I am parked touching the kerb usually.

 

[benellioldman1]

If you properly adjust the nearside one, it will show you cyclists sneaking up the nearside, and the rear wheel so you can judge the reverse around a kerb edge. The offside one is, as has been said, useful for covering the blind spot, and maybe reversing in Europe.

(Edit to add: Exactly as Guigsy said ).

I have a older 2005 model of motorhome so the majority on here will be talking about the Mk3 etc 2006 onwards. I find mine really useful especially abroad in Italy where they like to creep up fast and then sit in a long line of cars in the fast lane, and it would be difficult to see something in the Blindspot without these extra mirrors.