Hiya All

[wvervain99]

Greetings. I am not new to the forum but new to introducing myself. I have a 2008 Front Bedroom and I love it. She came to me needing alot of TLC but she is finished, and leak free and we have camped once since her repairs. I love that there is enough room in her for my bed and a place to enjoy meals and relax. Our first trip was to a horse show in Lexington and she pulled like a dream. I pulled with a Toyota Highlander 2015. The only issue is my driver's side mirror wanted to fold in with speeds over 55, I had an extended mirror on it. The passenger side did not fold in. Suggestions are welcome. Hope to learn from all and maybe share my experiences as well.

[profdant139]

I've tried putting a thin wooden wedge into the hinge of my drivers side mirror so it does not fold in when there is a bad headwind and oncoming trucks. It helps a little, but this is still a problem for me, too.

[wvervain99]

Could you take a picture of it? I would like to see how you have it set up.

[Eagle]

Super Glue

[wvervain99]

I wonder???

[profdant139]

So per your request, I tried to take a photo of my mirror -- but the place where I put the wedge is hard to get to. Here is the photo, and then I will try to describe what I did:


Click For Full-Size Image.


If I posted that photo correctly, there should be a "click for full size" button somewhere. It may be easier to see if you look at the full size picture. And if I recall correctly, when you click on that button, it takes you to a fairly small photo, and then you have to click on that small photo to really expand it.

Anyway, I am not sure if this description applies to all Toyota products. But on my Tacoma, the mirrors are mounted on base units that attach to the body of the car. The mirror portion is hinged. I'm not sure why the mirrors are designed to pivot on those hinges -- maybe for really narrow parking spaces??

The problem is that the resistance on that hinge is fairly low. Give your mirror a tug and you will see what I mean -- it is easy to make the mirror pivot toward the body of the car.

Now, if you add strap-on towing mirrors onto the existing mirror, you've got a lot of wind resistance pushing on the hinge. Add in a big headwind and the breeze of big-rigs coming at you on a two lane highway, and the mirror suddenly folds inward. You then have to open your window and push the mirror back into position, where it will stay until the next truck passes.

Important tip -- if you are wearing a baseball cap, take it off and tuck it under your leg before you open the window. Don't ask how I know this.

So to combat this design defect, I made a very narrow and sharp wooden wedge. I jam it into the hinge assembly, right where my finger is pointed. As the mirror starts to swing inward, the friction on the wedge prevents the mirror from moving. I tap the wedge into place with a small piece of wood. Problem solved.

Except that sometimes the wedge falls out due to vibration.

So I bring extra wedges.

It is not a perfect solution. I did try hot glue -- it did not hold. I suppose I could try Gorilla Glue, although I have found that in high vibration situations it gets brittle and chips off.

If anyone has any ideas for preventing this problem, both wverain99 and I would appreciate it!!

[LJAZ]

A friend has a Tacoma (not sure what year but probably 5 or so years old) and he had the same problem. Apparently the pivot pin wears out and allows this to happen. No easy fix either. You can replace the pin but it requires some drilling and a lot of cursing - at least according to my friend.

[profdant139]

I just posted a possible solution to this problem -- check it out, if you have a few minutes:

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...056795/p/1.cfm

[Cheryl]

Hello! Your camper is just like mine. Why do people cover the tires? Obviously I'm new to the camping world. If I ever get mine gutted/refurbished maybe I'll get to use it! The rain is not helpful and it won't fit in the garage so the tarp has to be on. Cheryl

[profdant139]

We cover the tires that are exposed to the sun when parked -- the UV cracks the rubber, eventually.

[APD]

Cheryl, covering the tires during storage helps to lessen weathering and UV damage from the sun.
Tires are the most important item on your camper so every little bit helps. Teach yourself about trailer tires and how to maintain them. Always get the best tires you can and check them for proper inflation every trip. Save money on something else, because if the tire blows all your hard work and investment can go down the drain along with your safety.

Alan