Robert Pepper takes a look at the legal requirements and different types of caravan towing mirrors as well as how to choose a set.
It’s pretty obvious you need to see behind you when driving, and that doesn’t change when towing a wide trailer. In fact, it becomes even more important.
Why look behind? Well, you may be overtaking or need to reverse your trailer. You need to see that you’re being overtaken and maybe even notice an emergency services vehicle behind you. Lots of reasons to keep a good look out behind, which is hard if you’ve got a trailer partially blocking your view…such as the average caravan which creates a dangerously large blind spot for the driver.
The problem is this. The width of a ute like the Ranger is around 1850mm and even a big wagon like the Patrol Y62 is only 1995mm. A small caravan like a J-Pod is 1860mm wide, so a little more than the Ranger. A mid-sized hybrid van might be 2100mm and many larger caravans are around 2500mm wide.
The solution
The solution to this problem is caravan towing mirrors. They are wider than the standard wing mirrors and allow you to see behind properly and safely, eliminating what would otherwise be a dangerous blind spot. This is what a set of clip-on towing mirrors look like:
So how do you know you’re good to go? Pull the van straight behind the car and ensure you can see right down the length of the caravan with your towing mirrors.
Now what’s legal and what’s sensibly safe don’t always align but in this case, there is indeed a law. It’s titled AUSTRALIAN DESIGN RULE 14/02 – REAR VISION MIRRORS. I’ll spare you the tortured words about median plans and ocular points and instead, draw you a picture that shows no tow mirror on the right of the car but a tow mirror on the left of the car. You can see here that without towing mirrors a caravan wider than the tow car creates a dangerous blind spot.
Types of towing mirrors
So you need towing mirrors for many caravans and tow car combinations, but which to buy?
There are two basic types: clip-on and replacement. The clip-on models are exactly that, they fit over the top of the existing wing mirrors.
The replacement versions entirely replace your existing mirrors and can be extended out wide or pulled back in close. The law also says you’re not allowed to have anything protruding more than 150mm outside your vehicle, so you’ll need to remove or push in your towing mirrors when not in use.
How do you choose between clip-on and replacement mirrors?
Replacement towing mirrors for caravans are definitely a superior product. The clip-ons tend to bounce around and may even fall off if not secured properly. They can be easily stolen. You may also need to focus your eyes on the standard mirror and/or the towing mirror for example when turning, which takes a fraction more time than glancing in just one mirror.
The replacement towing mirrors for caravans suffer none of these problems but as you’ll have guessed, they are expensive at $700-$1100. Clip-on caravan towing mirrors are around $130.
Now for recommendations:
From my personal experience, I would definitely not cheap out on the clip-ons. I’ve used cheapie clip-ons and it’s not worth it considering you can buy a decent set of Milencos for not much more. If you’re up for replacement mirrors look at Clearview products like the Original Towing Mirrors, or the Next Generation Towing Mirrors. There may be other quality products out there but I’m happy to recommend those two.
Do check that the set you intend to buy will in fact offer enough width for your van. The police do run checks, and they will typically measure the width of your van and the distance between the innermost part of your mirrors…which should be equal to or greater than the van’s width.
When not in use, I keep my towing mirrors in the van as that way they cannot be forgotten! I can of course forget to fit them, but then that’s why I have a pre-tow checklist that includes the mirrors.
Finally, you will see quite a few carmaker ads showing cars towing trailers without mirrors. This is not right, not acceptable and shouldn’t be shown. Their justification is “but that’s on private property” which I don’t agree with at all.
You and I can do better, be legal, be safe!