Another use for mirror

[Loneoak]

Most of us will agree that the mirror on the front is not a lot of help with hitching up. We spend the winters in a park in Florida and the streets are not named here. This makes it difficult for emergency responders to find the correct site. Management has asked us to put legible site numbers on the fronts of our units (some are permanent park models, some transients like us). They prefer the numbers be lit up.

I came up with an idea: put the number on the mirror and turn the light on. I had the number printed, then took it into Staples and had it laminated. We will just remove it when we go home, and put it back up next year. We have friends here in the park with a trailer identical to ours, so I made one for them as well. I also noticed that not a lot of fifth wheels have a mirror on the front. We're so glad we do!

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by Loneoak

Most of us will agree that the mirror on the front is not a lot of help with hitching up................. I came up with an idea: put the number on the mirror and turn the light on..............

Agree, the mirror is not useful hitching up so I use my tonneau cover lock, which is centered at the end of the cover, as a guide when hitching. Attaching a sign to the mirror is what I call re-purposing!!!

[CADman_KS]

I don't find the mirror overly useful either.

We have a rule that we try to live by faithfully, and that is never hook / unhook in the dark. In all of our years of camping, I believe we have only done it twice that I remember, and it is no fun at all. With that being said, the light is just an invitation to hook/unhook in the dark. The only other reason that I could see for the light would be to illuminate the hitch to passerby's that there is something sticking out there, and shouldn't run into it.

But for hitching, no...

[mtlakejim]

I agree that the mirror is all but totally useless EXCEPT for the re-purposing done here! Great idea!


As for hitching in the dark, we have zero problem doing that but I always use the cargo light on the truck instead of the one on the camper. The cargo light is shining back and not in your eyes. But then I'm the kind of person that doesn't have any problems driving in the dark either. Granted the older I get the less I am doing it. And we try to avoid leaving a campground at night out of respect for other campers.

[Baldicon]

I kind of disagree. I use my camera to get lined up and close, but when the pin box starts riding up on the hitch, I use the mirror to see when hitch is fully under the pin box/kin pin. Saves banging it in too hard.

[Golfmedik]

Coming from a public safety member for over 35 years, this is a neat idea as if we can't find you, we can't help you.

[Loneoak]

People in our park want the owner to paint the site numbers on the road. Putting actual free standing signs at the front of the sites is not a good idea as it interferes with parking. The owner has so far not been amenable to that idea.

[Dave W]

Since our 5er doesn't have self leveling. I mounted the side-to-side level in the middle of that less then useful mirror. Now it's where the 'navigator' can more easily watch - which reminds me - I need a new fore and aft mirror.

[Jester]

It’s a Keystone patient.

[DutchmenSport]

I use my mirror every time I hitch. I've only had 1 fifth wheel and this is it. It came with a mirror so I learned how to use it. Now, not sure if I could hitch as easily without it now.

That's a nice idea you there for placing signage in that space though. I never thought of using that space for multi-purpose reasons. We do mostly transient camping, at most 2 week at one location, and we never visit seasonal campgrounds. In our case, any signage we put in that spot wouldn't be seen anyway, as the truck is almost always parked directly in front of the trailer in the many, many state parks and KOA. The truck blocks the view of that mirror from the road. I've wanted to hang an RV welcome sign from the hitch pin, but that would not be seen from the road either.

But, you've got me thinking about multi-purposing now. Thanks for the idea!

[Loneoak]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

I use my mirror every time I hitch. I've only had 1 fifth wheel and this is it. It came with a mirror so I learned how to use it. Now, not sure if I could hitch as easily without it now.

That's a nice idea you there for placing signage in that space though. I never thought of using that space for multi-purpose reasons. We do mostly transient camping, at most 2 week at one location, and we never visit seasonal campgrounds. In our case, any signage we put in that spot wouldn't be seen anyway, as the truck is almost always parked directly in front of the trailer in the many, many state parks and KOA. The truck blocks the view of that mirror from the road. I've wanted to hang an RV welcome sign from the hitch pin, but that would not be seen from the road either.

But, you've got me thinking about multi-purposing now. Thanks for the idea!

You’re welcome! When we are in Florida for four months, our truck is parked beside the camper. Our lots are a good size. We also have room for our grass mat between the camper and the truck.

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by Loneoak

Most of us will agree that the mirror on the front is not a lot of help with hitching up.................

Ditto....!! Have yet to use it. Fortunately my rollup tonneau cover is pulled back just behind the hitch. I use its lock, which is centered on to line the trailer king pin to the hitch.

[ranch560]

Originally Posted by Loneoak

I came up with an idea: put the number on the mirror and turn the light on. I had the number printed, then took it into Staples and had it laminated. We will just remove it when we go home, and put it back up next year.

What happens if your site is 138B next year?

[jimandlaurie]

Great idea on that spot, makes me think about several options for "decorating " the mirror. Thanks.

[Loneoak]

Originally Posted by ranch560

What happens if your site is 138B next year?

138B has a permanent unit on it, so I doubt very much that could happen! We have been in site 137B for five years. We get first dibs on that site and we reserve before heading home in the spring.

If for some reason we should decide to relocate, a new number for our mirror is cheap and easy.

[browens62]

Don't know about the others, but our 2018 mirror is black now. it looks like part of the paint scheme.

[Loneoak]

What mattered to us was:
1. there was a place to put our site number in case of emergency
2. that it had a light over it so the number was lit up.


The fact that there is a mirror there is of little use to us.