My Bakkie’s side mirrors had the tendency of folding back when I fitted the extended towing mirrors during towing my caravan , especially when it’s windy and when traveling  at a speed greater than 100km/h. I solved the problem by cutting two 20cm pieces of a pool noodle, and  placed them in between the car side mirrors and its bases attached to the doors, thus ensuring it does not fold back. It works well. I traveled from Gauteng down to Winkelspruit during strong winds (and above 100km/h) and I did not have a single fold back.

In my tyd wat ek karavaan sleep nog nooit sulke spieëls op gesit.

Vir die afgelope 10jr n kammera agter op die karavaan en nou ook een by die hak.

Ek verander net op die spieël dan sien ek die hak kombinasie druk die knoppie op die spieël dan sien ek weer agter die wa.

Dankie vir jou idee met die swem noodels.

Hoop dit kan ander help..

hi Earl,   Your solution sounds simple and effective,  could you perhaps post a photo?

Used to use those extended mirrors a long time ago but not now. Find my Subaru forester has bad blind spots and i have nearly been the cause of accidents one or two times without towing. Mabe i should get some of those mirrors.

Ek het nie die gebruik van kammeras nie, maar sleep nie sonder die  verlengde spieels nie

Paddyandpaul wrote:

Used to use those extended mirrors a long time ago but not now. Find my Subaru forester has bad blind spots and i have nearly been the cause of accidents one or two times without towing. Mabe i should get some of those mirrors.

Can you see behind you without extending mirrors while towing the Skipper?

Relaxed Camper wrote:

Can you see behind you without extending mirrors while towing the Skipper?

No we see mostly to both sides with side mirrors. Probably see about 50m behind as the trailer is as tall as the back window and cannot use the middle mirror.

algemene probleem   blink oplossing

Paddyandpaul wrote:

No we see mostly to both sides with side mirrors. Probably see about 50m behind as the trailer is as tall as the back window and cannot use the middle mirror.

If the Skipper is the same width as the car you are not illegal but basically driving the same way as a delivery truck.  They, because of the load body/container cannot see behind them either.  But they can see on either side.  

If the Skipper is wider than your car, if  you want you can invest in a camera or the extended mirrors.

Camera is for the well heeled, i am but a poorly pensioner. Actually i am better when towing than driving ordinarily as i take the neccessary precautions. Driving ordinarily i tend to forget the blind spot.

Do not need mirrors with the Bushlapa.

But, also fitted a camara on the back of the Bushlapa and the screen on the dash. Was cheap at the fleemarket. Approximately R600.00 for both with extended cables. Fitted it myself. 

Very handy to reverse, specifically in the Kruger / Kgalagadi where you cannot leave your vehicle. 

Herman R600 for a camera and screen is dirt cheap even for a pensioner.

The only reason why I thought of the camera on the back of my Bushlapa was when I bought a new Garmin GPS and the salesman told me that the Garmin GPS was compatible with the wireless Garmin reverse camera. Obviously wanted sell both to me. 

Did not buy the Garmin wireless reverse camera because of cost and various reviews indicating that the wireless is not working so well (bad picture quality and delays). However, it still made sense to me and one day we were at the Boksburg Flee market and I noted the reverse cameras there. 

The people at the flee market are very helpful. They show you how it works, how to connect it and also provided extended gable and fittings for between the caravan and car. So I took a change and after 2 years it is still working very well. 

This was my solution to this problem - works well no matter the speed or wind.

Badger wrote:

hi Earl,   Your solution sounds simple and effective,  could you perhaps post a photo?

Hi sorry for only replyin here it is . I just sprayed it black cause it was a pink noodle

Pat, please give a bit more detail as to how your setup works, material used, etc.

Reviving this topic as we were pulled over at a road block and the official informed me that it was illegal not having extended side mirrors while towing the caravan. He never charged me but said I need to get them.

We are aware that there are issues with the wind which we have experienced over our years of towing but after installing the rearview camera on the caravan we decided notto  add the side mirrors.

Can anyone point me to that specific legislation if it exists ?

According to input on another forum, the law requires that extended mirrors must be fitted when the caravan is wider than the tow vehicle. You are supposed to see at least 20m backwards along the side of your caravan.

The officers stopped me as well last year, but when I focus their attention to the fact that the Kavango is just as wide as the Hilux, they let me go without a fine.

I don't know what the law stipulate/allows if the caravan is fitted with a camera system  

A quick search on internet revealed the following;

1] you must be able to see 4m wide from caravan side for at least 20m behind the caravan

2] the blind spot must be eliminated

3] it is debated if rearview cameras lawfully satisfy the above. and might be not acceptable

Now the debate van start, regarding cameras. 

Die kamera agter op die karavaan het n 170 grade wydte beeld. Ek sien n kar totdat sy neus op die hoek van die karavaan is. My tru-kamera is nie so goed nie, hy is geleë reg bokant die tou-haak, maar ek kan nie die haak sien nie omdat die kamera oorspronklik aangebring was vir my 4x4 wa wat n hoër kop het. Ek kan dus net MIK na die karavaan se kop. Gelukkig vir movers gebruik ek die tru-kamera net totdat ek n meter of twee van die karavaan is.

Sal nie n tree ry sonder die kamera op die karavaan nie. Omdat hy gekleurde "ry-lyne" op het kan ek selfs agteruit met die karavaan ry.