Rear View Mirrors/close View, Blind Spot

[0533]

I have a problem from time to time when a small vehicle (City Traffic)is within 10 to 15 feet from my left or right front bumper. I cannot see the vehicle in most cases at this point. This is a real problem when changing lanes as these drivers love to squeeze in front of my blind spot to get ahead of me.

I have tried to adjust the top mirror (small) to look down and see this blind spot, but when I do, I am loosing the benefit of using the small upper mirror to check the white and yellow lines when driving on the open road.

I use the larger mirror to look out into the distance before changing lanes mostly.

Question: Am I doing this backwards, or do you have a better way to arrange the mirrors for each use.

Finally, I was thinking about a small mirror that might hang off the bottom that was angled down to only see what was in my blind spot.

Love to know how you handle this.

[dalej]

Bruce,

Tim, a friend of mine that was at Sevierville mounted a stainless steel 5 inch round mirror below his bus mirrors. He used a stud bolt in place of the set screw on the mirror to mount to.

If you need more info let me know, he likes it now that he can see the blind area that you are speeking of.

My mirrors are set up differently, so I don't have this problem.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

We have the old style mirror, just one lens and I could not see anything right forward. I could have had a box truck over there and missed it.

When I first rolled off the lot with ours I hit the first truck stop and bought a small (three inch) round stick on convex mirror and stuck it on the outer lower corner of the large mirror pass. side.

Experiment, lot of stuff out there to help you.

[0533]

We have the old style mirror, just one lens and I could not see anything right forward. I could have had a box truck over there and missed it.

When I first rolled off the lot with ours I hit the first truck stop and bought a small (three inch) round stick on convex mirror and stuck it on the outer lower corner of the large mirror pass. side.

Experiment, lot of stuff out there to help you.
Thanks Joe and Dale,

I think I'm off to PEP BOYS to checkout my options. It is really annoying to be wondering what might be lurking at my door or under my drivers window all the time.

I was considering installing one of those drop down mower decks, you know the big road side industrial ones with the big blades to clear what ever was in the way. Have it chromed to get rid of the Harvester green look. Once the drivers saw their antennas flying off they might apply the brakes, but hopefully one or two will want to continue, as I need revenge for all of the ones who got away.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Bruce, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. We want our buses to look pretty. To maintain the pretty appearance we have these neat rectangular mirrors, sometimes supplemented with the convex mirror to expand our range of vision.

Compare what we have to trucks. At the very least the typical truck has the big mirrors similar to ours, but it also has a fairly large round convex mirror. Usually however the trucks have a mirror at the top of the passenger door set so the driver can see the car alongside his fuel tank. It is now becoming common for trucks to have a large pair of convex mirrors located near the front of the fenders that allow the driver to see along side the full length of the truck, including what is a serious blind spot on our buses.

I agree with Joe. I have the typical mirrors with the flat rectangle and the upper convex, but on the passenger side I added a small convex in the corner of the rectangular mirror to see the car next to the front wheel. I also compromise how the mirrors are set. I would like to have the mirrors set to see a little further back down the highway, but I have both tipped down enough so on the rectangular mirrors I see from the drive axle back. I cannot see a great distance behind me, but I see far enough to the rear to not be surprised by cars that can sneak up alongside of me.

The convex mirrors are set so I can see closer to the front of the coach so with the set up I have I can see a car alongside of me from about 100 feet or more to the rear until the front of the car is visible to me without mirrors. The only way to improve would be to make the rectangular mirrors taller by 50%.

My coach has power mirrors, so I adjust the RH mirror frequently depending on circumstances. When on the highway it is set to see more to the rear, but when in a campground it is set to see adjacent to my rear wheels so I do not cut a corner too sharp and hit a Jimmy Buffet rock.

My first bus had the ugly Velvac mirrors, but those mirrors were available with rectangular convex mirrors that could be attached to both the top and / or bottom of the main rectangular mirror. I had two of those fairly large convex mirrors on the passenger side and one on the driver's side. On that coach my visibility was excellent and I could literally see outward from the front tires to a few hundred feet behind me. By the time a car along side the front tires was out of sight in the mirrors the front of his car was clearly visible in the windshield.

Get a pair of small convex mirrors and when changing lanes do not hesitate to raise your butt off the driver's seat and swivel your head to insure nobody is sitting in your blind spot. It is the only way I know how to do it.

[garyde]

I had a small Datsun run up on my blind spot last year while heading home, I moved over not seeing him and put him into the dirt shoulder before he braked and fell back. I guess he had a story to tell.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

In just the wink of an eye you can get from great day to disaster.

Check 3 times.

[BrianE]

Bruce,
I have opted for the ability to see the lurker next to the door. You can still see the lane edge line even if it isn't very far to the rear. The left convex can be adjusted to give a little better view to the rear but I tend to adjust it for close in viewing also. How scary is it when you try to give yourself a little room for a right turn and some bozo or bozoess tries to zip by on the inside? :eek: immediately followed by :mad:

[0533]

Bruce,
I have opted for the ability to see the lurker next to the door. You can still see the lane edge line even if it isn't very far to the rear. The left convex can be adjusted to give a little better view to the rear but I tend to adjust it for close in viewing also. How scary is it when you try to give yourself a little room for a right turn and some bozo or bozoess tries to zip by on the inside? :eek: immediately followed by :mad:
I have ordered the custom Turbocharged Drop down Mower Deck in stainless. It will be installed at the International Harvester dealer here in Florida. I ordered the deck with the shroud to protect my coach from the flying metal parts when the deck comes down on the vehicles that are crowding my blind spot. It will work on a motion sensor, with a 30 second warning light to allow the offending auto to stand back. Its quick and legal in most Red states.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Side view monitors are now becoming somewhat popular on trucks and buses.

This would be a reasonably easy upgrade to install considering where they are mounted, the door and the drivers fuse panel door.

Very cool and work great:cool:

[0533]

Side view monitors are now becoming somewhat popular on trucks and buses.

This would be a reasonably easy upgrade to install concidering where they are mounted, the door and the drivers fuse panel door.

Very cool and work great:cool:
How about putting a camera where the docking lights are? I never use the docking lights myself.

[Jim_Scoggins]

This works.

[0533]

This works.
How did you connect the mirror, by taking out 2 screws and adding longer screws and washers ? Great Pics Jim, where were you when you took this pic? Looks like a pretty new bridge crossing? Really helpful. Try keeping your eyes on the road next time.

[Darl-Wilson]

I purchased a small camera and monitor at Costco last year for less than $100.00. It requires 12V to operate the monitor and camera but the signal is wireless. The camera mounts inside a license plate frame but that could be changed. I was going to use it on my toad so I could see what was going on in that area but it now looks like there might be a better use. I tested this thing and the detail is amazing and the little monitor works great. I see no reason why this device couldn't be mounted anyplace within 100' of of the monitor, i.e. the blind spot. I found this one (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11255610&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|3960|21248|21268&N=4001195&Mo=24&pos=3&No=8&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=21268&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10615-Cat21248&topnav=) but it only has a 19' range. Of course that would be adequate for a side view/blind spot camera. Here is another built for trucks and RVs (http://reduceaccidents.3dcartstores.com/Triple-Camera-Blind-Spot-Kit-Left-Right-Side-Rear-View-Camera-With-Black-White-Or-Silver-Side-Cameras_p_8-233.html) that is a complete system albeit more expensive. This one is side-view (http://www.worktruck-outfitters.com/camera-system-backup-dashview-truck-p-3010.html?osCsid=4a32145f91cd10ae1d73f1403c577e42) only at about 1/2 the price.

It seems that I read recently that the DOT is considering the use of camera systems in lieu of mirrors. I also read, maybe rumor, that all 50 states would have to approve this change. I doubt that since the Feds generally regulate interstate commerce and the vehicles involved.

I, for one, am ready to add this equipment. The only consideration I have now is where to mount the monitor(s). The small one can be mounted just about anywhere but a 7" screen will require a bit more imagination. Any ideas?:confused:

Darl

[tdelorme]

This works.


Those are the "ugly Velvac" mirrors that Jon wrote about earlier. They were standard Prevost equipment up until the mid 90's. We have them on our bus and while they work better than any other mirrors, Jon is right about the ugly part.

[MangoMike]

Jim was Northbound on I -295 taking the bypass around Richmond. The structure in the mirror is the Varina-Enon bridge.

mm

[Joe Cannarozzi]

That's pretty good Mike.

You win the ataboy and pat on the back award.:cool:

Gotta be carful around your types.

[Jim_Scoggins]

Bruce:
Mango was right on regarding the location of the picture.
I sent you additional photos via email.

Ted and Jon call these mirrors ugly. I call them retro!

[Jim_Scoggins]

Another look going across the James river.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Those Velvac mirrors lack the smooth look of the Crapco mirrors with the failing chrome finish, but because of the construction of the Velvac mirrors and the ability to mount generous sized convex mirrors to the main mirror housing they provided very good all around visibility.

I would replace my Crapco mirrors in a heartbeat (even though they are adjustable with the push of a button) with Velvac if they were available in a polished stainless steel or aluminum. They would not be as pretty, the smaller mirrors would not be as nicely integrated into the unit, but I could see the lanes on both sides of the bus, the full length of the bus plus some of the second lane over to the right. I never had any doubt the adjacent lane was clear when making a lane change. Unlike a TV which would also be nice there was no chance of a failure.

[0533]

I purchased a small camera and monitor at Costco last year for less than $100.00. It requires 12V to operate the monitor and camera but the signal is wireless. The camera mounts inside a license plate frame but that could be changed. I was going to use it on my toad so I could see what was going on in that area but it now looks like there might be a better use. I tested this thing and the detail is amazing and the little monitor works great. I see no reason why this device couldn't be mounted anyplace within 100' of of the monitor, i.e. the blind spot. I found this one (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11255610&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|3960|21248|21268&N=4001195&Mo=24&pos=3&No=8&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=21268&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10615-Cat21248&topnav=) but it only has a 19' range. Of course that would be adequate for a side view/blind spot camera. Here is another built for trucks and RVs (http://reduceaccidents.3dcartstores.com/Triple-Camera-Blind-Spot-Kit-Left-Right-Side-Rear-View-Camera-With-Black-White-Or-Silver-Side-Cameras_p_8-233.html) that is a complete system albeit more expensive. This one is side-view (http://www.worktruck-outfitters.com/camera-system-backup-dashview-truck-p-3010.html?osCsid=4a32145f91cd10ae1d73f1403c577e42) only at about 1/2 the price.

It seems that I read recently that the DOT is considering the use of camera systems in lieu of mirrors. I also read, maybe rumor, that all 50 states would have to approve this change. I doubt that since the Feds generally regulate interstate commerce and the vehicles involved.

I, for one, am ready to add this equipment. The only consideration I have now is where to mount the monitor(s). The small one can be mounted just about anywhere but a 7" screen will require a bit more imagination. Any ideas?:confused:

Darl
I really like the truck camera you posted and am thinking it would be nice to have it where my docking lights are on each side. I do not use the lights and don't plan on lading anywhere in the dark.

[0533]

Bruce:
Mango was right on regarding the location of the picture.
I sent you additional photos via email.

Ted and Jon call these mirrors ugly. I call them retro!
Mango is always right and I'm getting sick an tired of him showing off. I should have known the answer as I have traveled across this bridge several times, although it might be the Savannah River bridge coming into Savannah Ga. right Jim??? Next question: What time of year and what time of day (AM/PM) was Jim crossing this bridge?? Try to get that one right Mango.

[Darl-Wilson]

I really like the truck camera you posted and am thinking it would be nice to have it where my docking lights are on each side. I do not use the lights and don't plan on lading anywhere in the dark.

Bruce, all of these lights can be wired so they are not on 100% of the time. For example your side camera, that might replace a docking light, can be wired (providing the existing wires have the capability to handle the additional load) to the signal lights. When you signal the camera begins operation and goes off when not needed. The camera could be wired for continous operation by using the docking light circuit. Rear cameras are commonly wired to the backup lights. The TV signal in some of this equipment is wireless so the only hardwire needed is to provide 12V to the camera. Lots of options here. I am going to start with the simple Costco camera/monitor I already own and go from there.

Let us know if this replacing the docking light works out for you.

Darl

[MangoMike]

Mango is always right and I'm getting sick an tired of him showing off. I should have known the answer as I have traveled across this bridge several times, although it might be the Savannah River bridge coming into Savannah Ga. right Jim??? Next question: What time of year and what time of day (AM/PM) was Jim crossing this bridge?? Try to get that one right Mango.

Bruce,

January

12:35 pm

In addition: Jim was wearing brown socks and boxers.




Mango

[0533]

Bruce, all of these lights can be wired so they are not on 100% of the time. For example your side camera, that might replace a docking light, can be wired (providing the existing wires have the capability to handle the additional load) to the signal lights. When you signal the camera begins operation and goes off when not needed. The camera could be wired for continous operation by using the docking light circuit. Rear cameras are commonly wired to the backup lights. The TV signal in some of this equipment is wireless so the only hardwire needed is to provide 12V to the camera. Lots of options here. I am going to start with the simple Costco camera/monitor I already own and go from there.

Let us know if this replacing the docking light works out for you.

Darl
Please let us know how the install goes and if you are getting the desired results. I am hoping to do the install while underway this summer. We are heading out June 3rd until Oct 17th and will have lots of time to play with the toys.

[0533]

Bruce,

January

12:35 pm

In addition: Jim was wearing brown socks and boxers.




Mango
I am getting a sneaking suspicion that Jim was on his way to meet you for dinner in DC or worse you and he have been discussing this off line.

My guess is that its in the fall. The wx is too clear for a Mid Atlantic summer or even late spring, its 1:22 PM on Friday the 17th of Oct 2007. Jim has had his lunch and is heading to Mango Mike land, staying in Cherry Hill Rv park for the night

[garyde]

I don't know how easy this one would be to adapt, but it has Chrome 3 -motorized convex mirrors with optional signal. Go to search by photo and click on the Mirror #2030. They offer them w/o motorized adjustment as well, in Black. http://www.velvac.com/RVs_only/order_online/order_online.html

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I contacted them when we had a previous discussion about the poor quality of Ramco mirrors and their failing chrome finishes.

They indicated they did not have a base configuration that would conform to the Prevost curve on the body or the hole pattern. They further indicated the wiring is completely different and it would entail major changes to the switches and wiring.

Too bad because the three mirror configuration would have all the benefits of the old Velvac system and would eliminate blind spots. It would probably not corrode as fast as the Ramco mirrors either.

[0533]

Those are the "ugly Velvac" mirrors that Jon wrote about earlier. They were standard Prevost equipment up until the mid 90's. We have them on our bus and while they work better than any other mirrors, Jon is right about the ugly part.
I think they look retro and are kind of neat, look like they belong on a Beachcraft or Mooney, really cool stuff. Mine look like they belong on a plastic coach, or just about any coach I'm afraid, Remco polished chrome.

[Jerry Winchester]

I miss the old cab over IH I drove at Halliburton that had the beaver shooting window in the passanger's door and a mirror for it. It was hard for anyone to sneak up on you for sure.

2821

I was checking out Alan Hann's coach with the Eaton system on it that has the radar that tells if someone is close to you and then selects a side view camera if you turn on the signal on that side. Pretty sweet set up for sure, so I think these mirrors with the cameras in them will become standard equipment.