2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Towing Mirrors....pwr/heated!

[jdross440]

Mirrors came in yesterday. They are the Kool Vue mirrors. They had the brackets with them, so I have an extra set. Wasn't too bad to install. The drivers side is the hardest because of the mirror switch hitting the aft upper screw. I turned the screw around and after installing cut the screw flush with the nut. I also took my heat gun and softened the door panel and forced the back of the switch down enough to just clear the nut.

 

[Rogan]

Got mine back in early Sept. After about 2 months now, I have to say they are worth every penny. I finally got to try out the heated portion, and it works rather well, I might add.

 

[J Baxter]

Yup, just used my heaters this morning for the firs time, very nice.

 

[Rogan]

it's actually a nice, large heating grid. Even the convex mirror portion has it's own heating grid.

 

[wlowe]

Add me to the list of Kool Vue mirror owners. Got mine from speedycarparts.com for just under $200 with shipping.



My old manual tow mirror on the drivers side had loosened up and wouldn't stay adjusted. I stuck some rubber mat around it but I was constanly readjusting it. Figured it was time to upgrade!



Some members have said that these mirrors vibrate so I installed the drivers side first to compare it to the manual mirror on the passenger side. There was a little vibration but not much, in fact I wouldn't have even noticed it if I wasn't looking for it.



I trimmed the mirror switch like others did to clear the mirror stud on the drivers side. Only problem I had was destroying most of the christmas tree retainers on the door panel when I took it off. Found an online supplier, clipsandfasteners.com, part number 19213, $11. 00 for a box of fifty. Didn't even try to save the old ones, just replaced them all.



Very happy with these mirrors, can't beat the price.

 

[Sticks]

And mine are still sitting on the living room chair (since Oct 30) complete with AC control module and mirror switch waiting for install. I have a dream that I will have time to do the install sometime this year.

 

[charlessmith]

This site has details on wiring changes for the '94 - '97 Rams, and has info on fitting to other years:

Dodge Ram - Towing Mirror Upgrade Information- '94 to '06

 

[gerry]

Extented mirror width

What I want to know is do any of these mirrors extend further out than the OEM folding towing mirrors? My problem is that my OEM folding towing mirrors don't go as far out as I would like so I can't see vehicles that are within 5 or 6 car lengths unless going around a curve. I believe if the mirrors went out 4 to 6 inches further I could be happy but I would want them to be folding or collapsable so that they wouldn't have to be that far out when I'm not towing. Anybody?

 

[wlowe]

What I want to know is do any of these mirrors extend further out than the OEM folding towing mirrors? My problem is that my OEM folding towing mirrors don't go as far out as I would like so I can't see vehicles that are within 5 or 6 car lengths unless going around a curve. I believe if the mirrors went out 4 to 6 inches further I could be happy but I would want them to be folding or collapsable so that they wouldn't have to be that far out when I'm not towing. Anybody?

The Kool Vues are the same dimensions as the OEM manual tow mirrors. The CIPA mirrors might extend further, not sure.

 

[CMccrum]

just installed a set of heated power tow mirrors... for all you canucks out there I got them from an ebay motors supplier (grille4you) that would ship to canada (not many do... ). First set was a manual set, not what I ordered, they arrived in 3 days cross border, I phoned and complained and a set of the right ones was on my doorstep 4 days later, so pretty good service. Price was $264, a bit more than the really reasonable ones out there but once again most can't ship north. The mirrors don't appear to be the Kool-Vue product, at least they don't have the Kool-vue packaging, just generic cardboard boxes. Nonetheless well packaged, and appear to be well made (aluminum mounting base to the mirror, solid, etc... ) I had to dremel a bit out of the aluminum base plate webs to avoid pinching the wires, and made a couple of brackets out of some 1/16 aluminum plate. Cheaper and more accessible than the dodge brackets. wiring plugged right into the truck wiring and everything works great. I would assume most of the comments about vibrating mirrors are due to improper installation--solid brackets in the door to distribute the weight of the larger mirrors and tightening the nuts up evenly and a bit of loctite on mine and they are rock solid.

 

[Crowhurst]

Blind spot using the CIPA mirrors

I've been using the CIPA extendable 9802 electric/heated extendable mirrors for a couple of years. I find that, when towing, the small convex lenses, which I attached to the inside lower corners, give a better and safer view than the main mirrors. The passenger side mirror, in particular, has a large blind area that is only visible in the convex lens, which is very small. Has anyone found a slightly convex large mirror that would fit the whole mirror case? This would be a great improvement, IMHO. The original passenger side mirror was, IIRC, slightly convex. I still have it, but it's 2,000 miles away, so I can't try it for size. Any suggestions? A bigger stick-on convex mirror?

Nick.