Tow Mirrors

[oncechance]

I'm on the fence.... It's my DD and will be towing trailer with quad. Next year will be getting a TT.

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[Rod507]

My 2021 PB is my first with tow mirrors and at first thought they looked goofy… but now I’d never go back! I must admit that these ford tow mirrors design are better than other brands.

 

[XLT22]

The visibility out of them really is a positive change from the smaller mirrors. I don't know why Ford made them so oddly shaped compared to the previous generation. That said I wouldn't think they would be necessary with an open trailer if that's what you have, and there's about a 1mpg mileage penalty at highway speed along with some additional noise.

 

[SumGuy]

Get them. IMO

 

[SRMD]

I have them and make towing TT a breeze, but they stick out a lot! You definitely need to be aware of them and I would suggest retracting them if you are parked on a street. I wish mine were power. I have XLT 302A, but power retractable mirrors was not an option and I was not paying $4K+ to be able to get them. I plan on researching if a retrofit is available, but it is likely an expensive alteration.

 

[discothan]

They are great! Worth the upgrade over my stock mirrors.

 

[Buried150]

My current truck is also the first I’ve had with tow mirrors, and I must say I was skeptical ordering them at first. But I’m glad I did since I’m going the TT route as well. The visibility is a significant improvement. And adding them later on doesn’t make financial sense compared to buying up front.

I do find myself being extra cautious/anxious driving on narrower roads due to how far they stick out though.

 

[Buyer2021]

My on my '05 XLT they're manual fold and I like 'em for both daily driving and when towing the RV. Yep, a very rarely occasional pain when I gotta fold 'em.

On my '22 Lariat they're power fold and I LOVE 'em 100% of the time without reservation.

IMO they don't look 'goofy', they look and are supremely functional., the best rear-view on the market.

 

[Davexxxx]

I'm in the same boat and have decided that they are more trouble than they're worth, no matter how good they are.

As mentioned above, you can have the wind noise, MPG hit, parking lot risk and narrow road pucker.

Or, you can let the 33" BLIS do it's job and augment that with sideview cams on the travel trailer.

 

[12Lariat21]

I had standard mirrors on my 2012, and got the Tow mirrors on my 2021.
I'd say they are a nice to have, but they are not a necessity. You'll gain some confidence changing lanes, but that's about it.

I towed the same 30ft TT with both trucks, and had zero issues. I will say they though, if you go Tow Mirrors, you'll never go back.

 

[HeadBanger]

Mine doesn't have them, but I wish it did. Wouldn't hesitate if I were you. Good luck..

 

[{tpc}]

I'd get them. I tow a TT all the time, and with my 2018 and 2020 I constantly had to put on the slip on mirrors. Partially because I wanted that for towing, and partially because I wanted to make sure I was in compliance with the law. That said I have yet to hear or see anyone get cited for not having them, though some sites claim its mandatory in the US. I think that is incorrect, but doesn't matter as they do help.

I have also, in my last 2 trucks, forgot to put the slip on ones on, prior to a trip. But those mirrors were actually fairly large, so "good enough" if I forgot. I think they new small ones, besides looking goofy on a truck (same goes for GM vehicles), are small to save some gas mileage.

My current truck has them and I love them. They look like they belong imo and the convenience for towing is awesome. My only complaint is that you can't step up to power folding ones unless you get a lariat or above I believe. Was almost a deal breaker as I have a narrow driveway and fence to navigate back to the garage so when I first got the truck, I had to get out and fold in the passenger mirror every time. I have since got "creative" with how I pull in and can get around the fence, but I added some "ribbons" to the part of a flower bed I used to run over to do this. Never had flowers there anyway lol.

Even with all that, I've managed to just slightly clip the fence here or there, I think twice now. No damage as I always manage to stop quickly as I am paying attention at that time, but still it is an annoyance. I might retrofit power ones someday.

 

[Davexxxx]

I'm in the same boat and have decided that they are more trouble than they're worth, no matter how good they are.

As mentioned above, you can have the wind noise, MPG hit, parking lot risk and narrow road pucker.

Or, you can let the 33" BLIS do it's job and augment that with sideview cams on the travel trailer.

More on this.

To each his own but I'm going to mount a rear view camera on the travel trailer anyway and some models, have side view cameras available. The side view cams cost about the same as ordering tow mirrors at build time and way cheaper than adding them later.

I'll be using the Furrion brand. You can watch all 3 (rear and each side view) at the same time, or switch from one to the other, as you wish. The side views, replace existing side marker lights and if that light activates with the turn signals, it can automatically switch to that full view on the monitor. If not, you can run a wire for that signal from the 7 pin harness. An additional benefit, is they work in the dark, with infrared capability. Something tow mirrors can't do.

The rear cam has one way audio, so if you decide you still want a spotter, they can relay instructions audibly. It also has infrared.

Just my opinion but for me, I'd much rather have the standard mirrors for daily driving and this camera set up, is superior to tow mirrors, when pulling the trailer.

 

[STM]

I have the tow mirrors on my truck and I won't be towing anything..
However, these are unbeatable for visibility! The blind spot section is so big that I don't have to look over my shoulders in either direction at all..

That is totally worth it for me.. I do understand different people have different opinions!

 

[oncechance]

Thanks for everyone's reply. I think I'm going to pull the trigger and get them. Hopefully they are plug and play.

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