Towing Mirrors Flat or Convex

Author:

CaravanVlogger

Published:

27 May 2019

Updated:

27 January 2024

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Table Of Contents

Towing mirrors flat or convex. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to caravanning or have been at it for many years, we can all learn something new.

We recently hit a bush with our towing mirror, it fell off, unsurprisingly, however, I wasn’t expecting to then run over it with the car. Typical. It hadn’t broken after it hit the ground, I know, I wasn’t driving. It hit the ground in one piece, then as fate would have it, the flipping thing rolled into the path of the car.

I had a quick look online and you can buy individual wing mirrors from Milenco.

Sale

Milenco 2493, Grand Aero, Convex Head Mirror, black,16 × 15 × 23 cm.*

1 piece
Very efficient
Easy to use

Please take a moment to look at the above mirror. I have this exact mirror. But it’s not the one I bought, I bought another. But why would I do that? Had I lost the ability to think reasonably? I know why now of course, but didn’t know at the time.

Flat or Convex Towing Mirror

Towing mirrors came in two glass types; flat and convex. I won’t bore you with the science, mainly because I don’t know it. However, what I do know now, is that I had a convex mirror, I purchased a flat one and didn’t know it wasn’t right until I drove the first 10 feet after fitting it. Something wasn’t quite right, although it seemed to look exactly the same as the other mirror.

What’s the Difference?

That’s a good question. The quick answer is that convex mirrors give you a wider view behind, whereas flat make everything look a bit closer and your view is cropped in somewhat.

Here’s the flat version of my mirror :

Milenco 2486 Grand Aero Mirror Head Flat, black*

Model Number: 2486
Item Package Quantity: 1
Package Weight: 440 grams
Package Dimensions (L x B x H) in cm: 14.2 x 23.6 x 27

And here’s the convex version

Sale

Milenco 2493, Grand Aero, Convex Head Mirror, black,16 × 15 × 23 cm.*

1 piece
Very efficient
Easy to use

Can you see the difference? Of course not, they are face down. You will notice the flat one is a bit cheaper, what better reason for buying it?

Towing Mirror Flat or Convex Which is Best?

Well, convex sells more than flat. I have always (unknowingly) had convex, my car mirrors are convex. What the heck did I buy flat? Well, I looked at the mirror, it didn’t look convex (if you look closely it does though). My mirror must be flat. Surely flat suggests a more true vision. Convex seems to suggest to me that there would be some bending of the image.

So, I got it completely wrong, I just hope I can help someone else avoid the mistake.

Which Mirrors Does CaravanVlogger Use?

I’d personally recommend convex mirrors. Which one you buy is completely up to you. For you information, we use Milenco Grand Aero Convex Towing Mirrors as seen here on Amazon

MILENCO GRAND AERO TOWING MIRROR (PACK of 2)*

The Grand Aero mirror features a unique air balanced design that prevents vibrations and fits any car, 4×4 model and van thanks to the versatile claw system. Without strap.