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Topic: First mod.. (a cheepie at that) (Read 4 times) previous topic - next topic
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First mod.. (a cheepie at that)
Yahoo Message Number: 129733
I value windshield real estate.  I do not like things to imped my view.  Car and trucks sold in the US for the last few decades have the rear view mirror in the middle of the windshield.  A few weeks ago I rotated the Lazy Daze windshield rear view mirror 180 deg (upside down) on the arm that attaches it to the windshield.  This allows a couple of things. First, because of the way the mirror is made, the rotation moved the mirror above eye level. That alone helped.  The second thing it allowed was for the arm that holds the mirror to the glass to be angled higher.  The net advantage is I can now see through that blind spot at eye level with that additional advantage that it gives me an ever so slightly better angle for the view behind.  I can see the tops of normal cars tailgating me on I-95.  For people a little taller than me (5'6") you should have a better view in both directions.
Disadvantages: ...This may defeat a safety item (mirror's construction), but belted in I will not hit the mirror on this van.
... The day/night toggle is less accessible (does not bother me but might bother others).

Notes: There probably is a way to calculate at which eye level point the mod will stop working for people, but that would be for some one else's slide rule.  No special tools required.  But do not tug on the mirror.  It makes a poor grab handle.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath
Re: First mod.. (a cheepie at that)
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 129738
Brilliant!  I love creative innovation like this.  Bravo!

I'm going to look into trying this on my LD.

Larry

Lawrence D. Latham 45120 Highway 79, #916 Aguanga, CA  92536-9706 951-234-4253

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
 
Re: First mod.. (a cheepie at that)
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 129745
Lawrence Latham  wrote: I'm going to look into trying this on my LD.
--- Just an opinion: I find the windshield-mounted rear view mirror in the (E350)E450 cab to be of very little use when driving, even in the TK or MB models, and even if a fresnel stick-on "expanded viewer" is plastered on the rear window of the rig. The "field of view" offered by the rear view mirror in the motorhome cab is extremely limited; for me, it offers no practical assistance in seeing what's really behind me.
 The side mirrors on earlier LD models - my rig is a 2003 - were woefully inadequate (again, in my opinion); the little convex view "button" in the outer corner of the mirror offered such a limited view that driving in any amount of traffic was a dangerous PITA in the best of weather, and in the rain, virtually useless. I replaced the stock mirrors with the Velvac "split view" mirror; the current model number is 2020, I believe.  (Others who have earlier models of LDs have changed their side mirrors to improve the rear and side views and/or added the wide angle mirrors used on U-Hauls.)
 When driving a *car* (pickup, SUV, whatever), the scope of vision provided by the rear view mirror is essential, but the only ways that I know of to to be as aware of what's behind the *motorhome* as practically as possible when on the road are to use the side mirrors and to monitor the screen on the back-up camera; if one doesn't have a back-up camera ( I don't), the side mirrors are it.  (When one is "stopped", backing up, parking, navigating in tight quarters, etc., remember "GOAL": Get Out And Look!  Many of us learned that lesson the hard way.)

As ever, YMMV.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home