Tested: Clearview Compact towing mirrors

Towing mirrors have come a long way over the years. Gone are those clunky old things you’d strap to your doors or existing mirrors to extend their reach and improve the view behind your 4WD and trailer.

In their place are mirrors designed and made specifically to replace the original mirrors and do a much better job of showing the driver what’s behind them, as well as looking like they are meant to be part of the car.

Leading the way has been Clearview Accessories, a business that came about when Mike Cowan grafted a set of big American pickup truck mirrors on to his 80 Series LandCruiser to improve the view behind his caravan. They worked and when demand grew from others who wanted a set for themselves, Clearview became a business.

26

That was more than 10 years ago, and the original Clearview towing mirrors have evolved in to the Next-Gen Clearview mirrors and, more recently, the Clearview Compact towing mirrors. Not everyone likes the look of oversized American-style mirrors – I was one of them – so when these compact units came out I wanted to give them a try.

The Clearview Compacts are available for most popular 4x4 vehicles, and the number of models is growing every day. They certainly had a set that fit my LandCruiser 200 Series, but there were still options relating to power folding, black or chrome, heated mirrors, and ones with indicators on them.

The 200 doesn’t have all the blind-spot and lane-control features that most new cars have, but it still has heated and power-folding mirrors. I ordered black mirrors to go on the white Cruiser.

26

The mirrors arrived and were reasonably easy to fit at home without any dramas. Choosing the right mirrors for the model of car ensures that the wiring and plugs all match and it’s a simple plug-and-play job once you have the standard mirrors off. Thankfully, they fitted with my weather shields and the Safari snorkel.

The mirrors sit lower on the door than the stock mirrors and this took a bit of getting used to, but the larger size of the mirrors more than makes up for this. Something else that took some getting used to was the indicators, which are on the back edge of the mirrors and are a distraction when driving. At least you’ll never be that guy driving along with his blinker left on!

Unlike the original and Next-Gen Clearview mirrors, the Compact unit has a single mirror and not two mirrors like the bigger ones. But one lens is enough and there’s plenty of adjustment to show you what you need. The power adjustment still operates using the standard LandCruiser mirror switch.

26

The clarity of the Clearview glass is much better than the Toyota mirrors too, further improving the view behind.

With the mirrors in their unextended position, they don’t protrude any more than the old Toyota ones, but the bigger size of them does stop them from folding in as far as the standard ones – but that’s not really a problem.

They are big enough that they give plenty of view behind the 22-foot caravan, even without extending them. Pulling them out only improves that rear-view vision; plus, there’s no vibration at all, even at full extension. They are also handy when towing my wide double-jetski trailer and reversing down the boat ramp.

26

The best thing is that when I’m not towing, which is most of the time, the Clearview Compacts are small enough to look like they are factory fitted to the car and all factory functions are retained. No more fussing with bolt-on towing mirrors when I need them, and no oversize towing mirrors when I don’t. They’re not cheap but are a quality product that do the job they are made for.

AVAILABLE FROM: www.clearviewaccessories.com.au
RRP: $1385