Tow Mirrors- Up or Down…and go!

[murderman]

I'm a form-follows-function sort of guy and the convex mirrors really suck when the tow mirrors are down (convex mirrors vertical instead of horizontal), so I run mine in moose antler mode all the time. I'm also a married middle aged white dude and really couldn't care less what other people think about the way me or my truck may look.

That said, my Ram is not my DD and most of the time it's towing, and if not towing I'm on the open highway not in town. It would be nice if the tow mirrors didn't sometimes vibrate when going really fast.

Speaking of function, the Sport mirrors that came on my truck were way better for normal (not towing) driving than the tow mirrors are either up or down, and for those who care about appearance they probably looked better too.

 

[AlexC2350]

I did not like the flip up style mirrors. As others have said, they have better visibility up but are too wide and look ridiculous up, I thought. My 2018 2500 had the flip up ones, and when I got my 2020 it had regular mirrors so I put on the older style GM tow mirrors which I liked a lot.

 

[392heminut]

Mine are down unless I'm towing my 5th wheel RV. When they are up it causes problems with pretty much any drive through I go through and especially the drive through car wash. I don't really see any advantage in what I can see to the rear with them up either. Most of the guys that have them up all the time around here never tow anything and usually have a 3 lb. coffee can sized fart tip on their exhaust. One even has 6" dual exhaust stacks coming up through his bed right behind the cab!

 

[VOwens]

Interesting set of replies. As of my reading of the thread 14 down (unless towing) and 5 up (all the time)....in round numbers about 75% down and 25% up. Not a single post mentioned consideration for others as in when parked in a parking lot. They are difficult enough to walk around when parked side-by-side with another vehicle. Having them up in a parking lot makes it all the more difficult. My current 2017 1500 has electric folding mirrors which I normally fold in when parked near someone. Make it easy for someone to walk past and minimize the chance of ******* someone off who then decides to take your mirror into their own hands....literally! My previous truck was a 2006 3500 with the fold up/down mirrors. I was in the category of down unless towing necessitated the up position.

 

[dhay13]

I get it if you tow often. If I

Moose mode for me all the time. I tow several times a year, mirrors are manual, a complete pain the read end to adjust every time. Also, blind spot is much better when they're up and parking at work is much easier with them up. Do I look like a dork every day? Probably. Do I find the mirrors way more functional up? Yes. Do I make the payments on my truck? Yes...

did I'd probably just leave mine up too but for me the blind spot is much worse with them up

 

[dhay13]

Interesting set of replies. As of my reading of the thread 14 down (unless towing) and 5 up (all the time)....in round numbers about 75% down and 25% up. Not a single post mentioned consideration for others as in when parked in a parking lot. They are difficult enough to walk around when parked side-by-side with another vehicle. Having them up in a parking lot makes it all the more difficult. My current 2017 1500 has electric folding mirrors which I normally fold in when parked near someone. Make it easy for someone to walk past and minimize the chance of ******* someone off who then decides to take your mirror into their own hands....literally! My previous truck was a 2006 3500 with the fold up/down mirrors. I was in the category of down unless towing necessitated the up position.

Agreed 100%. I think leaving them up and out when in a parking lot is dangerous and somewhat inconsiderate. I fold mine in even when they aren't flipped cause as you said even down they stick out pretty far. But I don't really use my convex mirrors at all even if folded up or down

 

[Gwerner74]

Up only while towing, down the rest of the time. The wife does get excited when we see someone with them up without a trailer behind it because she knows it annoys the life out of me and for some reason, that makes her happy

 

[18CrewDually]

Dually life that tows 97.8% of the time. Always up and ready.

 

[62Blazer]

I do agree that adjusting them between down and up is a pain. The main flat mirror is at least power so you can just sit in the seat and adjust them. The biggest pain on my aftermarket tow mirrors is that the controls are 90 degrees off when flipped up. Meaning if you push down on the door switch it actually moves the mirror in....I have to stop and think about it for a second which way I need to go. The convex mirrors are manual adjustments. At least the driver's side doesn't need any adjustments but I do need to do the passenger side one. Fortunately I know which direction it needs to go so can get it close on the first try, and then usually only one minor adjustment after checking it from the driver's seat.
I hate having the mirrors up when not towing, but if I have them up and adjusted for towing and know I will be towing again within a few days or a week I will leave them up. However I also don't daily drive the truck so it's just sitting on the garage (which it will fit with the mirrors up, but you do have to be more careful).

 

[Dean2]

Mine are down all the time unless towing. Luckily both the flat mirrors and convex mirrors are power adjust, and the mirrors are power fold. Even with everything properly adjusted, really small cars like to hide in the passenger side blind spot. So many drivers are just completely situationally unaware.

I fold them when I put it in the garage and usually when I park somewhere. I also put the power running boards to deployed, when parked in a lot, keeps others from giving you door dings. The one option I wish I had on the longbox crew cab is the Blind Spot and cross path detection. Have it on the Jeep GC and it is great.

 

[jagu366]

Up all the time. No blind spots, at least from my point of view. Wife hates it, btw.

 

[Ritchie_Rich]

Tried up once. Didn’t like the view out of them.
Down all the time since then. Even when towing our 35ft fifth wheel. And now our TT.

 

[Crazyro]

Agreed 100%. I think leaving them up and out when in a parking lot is dangerous and somewhat inconsiderate. I fold mine in even when they aren't flipped cause as you said even down they stick out pretty far. But I don't really use my convex mirrors at all even if folded up or down

In parking lots, I always park away from other vehicles or on the end, by an island, as close to the curb as possible. When in tighter spots, I always manually fold them in and then back out when I leave (with the occasional "ah, crap, I sat down and closed my door and didn't pull the passenger side out").

 

[bcbouy]

I park in the handicap spots.nice and big and I don't have to put them in.only when I'm parked on the street.the auto retract folding mirrors are handy.