Rear View Mirror in panel van

[RattyMcClelland]

So I noticed I have a rear view mirror in my panel van with a bulk head.

I can only figure it's there because of the auto headlight/ rain sensors etc.

Is there any way it can be removed as I find it distraction looking into reflected bullhead darkness. Just the mirror part. I don't mind a stump.

 

[Pauly]

If you have auto beam assist i think the sensor is in the actual mirror and not the stump

 

[mhill]

I've thought this.

The auto high beam is actually a camera in thats integrated in the mirror bracket.

 

[Pauly]

This is what i was going on

 

[DaveyB]

You could always go mega hi-tech and stick a bit of paper/ tape over the glass.
I know what you mean though, because I tow a RIB and when you look in the rear view you can't see a bloomin thing other than its bow. It doesn't stop you keep looking every few seconds though! AGGHHHH.

 

[RattyMcClelland]

Ghay. So it's got to stay. Dammit vw. Your design team suck.

 

[rhinoman]

I like it for checking my hair.......I'll get my coat.

 

[BiTurbo]

This is what i was going on

View attachment 2971

How does that get turned on then? Or does he t just work ?

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

Hi @DaveyB. Sorry to be the one to point it out, but if all you can see in your mirrors are the bows of your RIB then you are breaking the law since you have no clear vision of traffic behind you. This is something that many caravan owners are guilty of too. Clip-on extended mirrors are available at reasonable cost from caravan accessory and similar towing accessory suppliers. Who knows, even VW may supply them (my last VW was back in the 70s in Germany).

 

[DaveyB]

Hi @DaveyB. Sorry to be the one to point it out, but if all you can see in your mirrors are the bows of your RIB then you are breaking the law since you have no clear vision of traffic behind you. This is something that many caravan owners are guilty of too. Clip-on extended mirrors are available at reasonable cost from caravan accessory and similar towing accessory suppliers. Who knows, even VW may supply them (my last VW was back in the 70s in Germany).

Oh I have no problem seeing past the RIB, its trailer is narrower than the van. Seeing out the back window when it is hooked up is a different matter though. It looks like a giant tailgating rubber duck in the rear view.

 

[DaveyB]

@T6 Dave's Dad I guess you thought I meant the side mirrors!

 

[T6 Dave]

Faster, that boats still catching us up!

 

[DaveyB]

Faster, that boats still catching us up!

And it doesn't seem to matter how far we go away from the water either!

 

[Pauly]

Sorry i was in the middle of editing those posts to a new thread

https://www.t6forum.com/threads/high-beam-assist-hba.1185/

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

Sorry @DaveyB. MEA CULPA. You are absolutely right as I did think that you meant side mirrors. I know what you mean about a giant rubber duck in the interior rear mirror as for a number of years I did tow a 'van, ask @T6 Dave. I took care on single carriage roads to watch for traffic building up behind so that I could pull over to let it pass and it only cost me about 30 seconds. Best tow was 400 miles in 10 hours, including lunch,teatime and fuel stops, on German autobahns. Funny thing was that long van, 5.25 metre body, was easier to reverse than a camping trailer! Have seen 4x4s pass me here and they have had wide boats behind with no extended mirrors and doing 110kph plus.

 

[DaveyB]

Sorry @DaveyB. MEA CULPA. You are absolutely right as I did think that you meant side mirrors. I know what you mean about a giant rubber duck in the interior rear mirror as for a number of years I did tow a 'van, ask @T6 Dave. I took care on single carriage roads to watch for traffic building up behind so that I could pull over to let it pass and it only cost me about 30 seconds. Best tow was 400 miles in 10 hours, including lunch,teatime and fuel stops, on German autobahns. Funny thing was that long van, 5.25 metre body, was easier to reverse than a camping trailer! Have seen 4x4s pass me here and they have had white boats behind with no extended mirrors and doing 110kph plus.

I know what you mean about the reversing. I think its a case of the bigger the better. Mainly because you can see it and therefore know when it is starting to twitch, but also as it is longer the wheels are generally further back from the pivot point of the tow ball joint therefore the turning moment is slower, so it takes longer for the turn to occur. A dinky little camping trailer has jack knifed before you've even realised.
Saw someone with a BMW towing at around 80mph, and in lane 3 of the M40 the other day; never ceases to amaze!

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

I know what you mean @DaveyB about the further the wheels are back from the towball but it never ceased to amaze the camping trailer brigade when the 'van slotted into place on the hook first time when so many had to unhitch and wheel theirs in (but some caravanners did the same too).