Power Vision Mirrors
Dave and Helen Damouth www.damouth.com
16 February, 2001
After thinking about it for several years, the failure of one of the OEM mirrors on my '96 Dodge RAM finally prompted me to install Power Vision Mirrors. They're wonderful - I wish I had done it back when they first became available.
Power Vision makes six-way mirrors for Chevy/GMC (88-present), Ford (all years?), and Dodge ('94 - present) full-size pickups (and Vans?). (The new Fords apparently offer a similar six-way mirror as a factory option).
For my Dodge, the mirror has a significantly larger viewing area than the stock power mirrors, and has less vibration. In addition to the usual 4-way power adjustment, the new mirrors have a motorized in-out adjustment which will move them close to the vehicle for non-towing use, or extend them outward six inches for towing. The passenger-side mirror is flat - not magnifying, unlike the OEM mirror. In my opinion, this is an advantage - the original magnifying mirror always interfered with my depth perception, particularly when cutting back to the right after passing another vehicle. One minor negative is that when fully retracted, the new mirrors still extend outward several inches further than the stock mirrors. When maneuvering in cramped quarters, it may be necessary to fold the mirrors in against the side of the truck (which is easy).
For us, the power adjustment is a major convenience. For example, it's really nice to be able, with the touch of a button, to tilt one or both mirrors down to where I can look at the trailer tires when backing into a campsite through a narrow area between rocks. Also, Helen and I are very different in height, and we adjust the truck seat to very different driving positions. Hence it is important to also be able to quickly adjust the mirrors when we change drivers on the road. Removing the CIPA extension mirrors for city driving when not towing was always a nuisance. Now, we just press a switch and the mirrors retract.
I previously used the CIPA slide-on mirror extensions. They work, but have substantial vibration. As they aged, the extension mirror adjustment began to slip out of position on bumpy roads. Worse, after four years of use, the extra weight and vibration of the slide-on mirror destroyed the breakaway cam for the driver's side original power mirror, so that the extra windage of the slide-on mirror and the worn breakaway cam caused the mirror to fold against the truck in strong head winds, or when we were passed by a big truck.
Installation is neat and straightforward, although it took me most of a day to do it. Good step-by-step instructions are provided.
After being unsuccessful in finding these mirrors in stock at local dealers as we traveled, I finally ordered them from Camping World and had them sent directly a campground where I knew we would be staying for several weeks. The catalog and web site say "special order - allow 2 to 3 weeks". The actually arrived in about one week, drop shipped directly from the Power Vision factory.
For more information, see the Camping World catalog or Web site (www.campingworld.com), or www.powervisionmirrors.com. The Power Vision site has a list of dealers - useful if you want professional installation. Warning - some of the listed "dealers" don't know that they are dealers - call them and check.