RV FEATURE
Clearview mirrors are permanently attached to the tow vehicle ( pic : Marty Ledwich ).
MIRRORS WHEN UNHITCHED
You ’ ve unhitched your van but decide to leave your tow mirrors in place for that quick drive to the shops . What ’ s the harm ? In fact , to drive with tow mirrors attached but without a van hitched up is a big no-no . Doing so will very likely breach ‘ over-dimensional ’ laws , which are taken from the ADRs . Around Australia , nothing is allowed to protrude more than 150mm from the side of a vehicle . For the purposes of this rule , a caravan / vehicle combination can be thought of as ‘ one ’ vehicle , hence why tow mirrors may protrude more than 150mm from the side of the tow vehicle when hitched up . Drivers who leave their mirrors attached after unhitching face a $ 238 penalty in Victoria and a similar amount around Australia .
“ AS LONG AS I CAN SEE HIS MIRROR , I KNOW THE DRIVER CAN SEE ME .”
EXPERT TIP
We spoke to John Eggenhuizen of Tow-Ed for his tips on setting up tow mirrors … “ Towing mirrors are required in almost all cases when you tow a caravan ,” he said . “ I firmly believe that you need as much visibility behind you as you do ahead and without a good mirror setup you are flying blind . “ A good set of mirrors will enhance your ability to manage traffic . When you install your mirrors , set them up wide enough so that when you stand at the back corner of the van and look along the side of the van , the very inside edge of the extension mirror should be inline with the side of the van . Anything less and you are compromising your vision .”
REAR-VIEW CAMERAS
A rear-view camera is a terrific addition to a touring setup but under no circumstances are they a substitute for tow mirrors ( if required ). Mirrors are mandatory . Cameras are not . “ A rear-view camera is a fantastic driver ’ s aid , and everyone should have them , but at the end of the day , they only give you that vision from the rear – they don ’ t give the all-important side view ,” Sergeant Graeme Shenton said . “ A camera will show you any drivers behind , and that ’ s fantastic , but if one of those drivers decides to overtake , they ’ ll suddenly be in your blind spot .”
12 gorv . com . au