mirrors and awnings
Hi all.
me again.
tonight i need advice on the best, and easiest to use, towing mirrors for a Peugeot 308. i have googled and a favourite is ' Milenco Aero' Any thoughts?
Also, with the xplore 302, what type of awning should i get.
The A measurement is 757. Is this a size 5? Any other restrictions for a small caravan?
thanks again for all your wisdom
gill
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Milenco are good - I use the bigger ones on my Discovery. They have screw clamps rather than elastic bands and such like and are easy to fit. Depending on how large and strong your hands are you may find it helpful to use a tool often known as "water pump pliers", I often need mine to get them undone.
As I recall, the measurement is ground to ground via the awning rail and the makers quote a range of sizes for each model. Just to keep you on your toes, have you thought whether you want one with poles for a frame or the new inflatable ones?
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Hi Gill,
Gill again! I got Milenco mirrors, they're fine. Awning wise, I would go for an air one every time. You're only small (van I mean) so not sure about size. I use a guy called Jeff Bowen awnings in Suffolk. I bought a pole awning from him which was great but a problem to put up by myself if there was any breeze. I then bought a Camptech air awning from him. Lightweight so I can put the thing up on my own unlike some of the more expensive ones.
might be worth giving him a call, he's very helpful.
Gill
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I'm surprised no-one from the "Solos" group on here as been along to say "Hello". It is an informal group of people who caravan alone and they do arrange physical meetings simply by all being on the same site at the same time.
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I use the Grand Aero. I have used both the aero and grand aero and I find the bigger ones much better for visibility.
Also, I personally would recommend the convex mirror over the flat mirror, again because I find you can see much more, especially when manoeuvring.
But that is personal preference.
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I said hello on the other thread from Solos - and also suggested not to rush into an awning without taking a really good look - I so seldom use mine - but if I was starting again I would go for a good lightweight porch. I would get used to the vagaries of the caravan and tackle an awning for longer trips away. Isabellas usually come up top of the list but I like my Fiamma.
I go for Milenco mirrors too.
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I have Milenco mirrors and regard them as the best. As for an awning I would try out the caravan without one and see how you get on. Once you have done that you will see if you need one and hopefully how big. You can then narrow down the search for the right one. If you are on your own though an air one is far easier to erect although they can be heavier to move.
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How heavy are the aeros for a single woman to thread into the awning rail - or is that no longer an issue? I know when they first came out the threading bit was heavy? I don't know how tall the OP is but I know I am thankful for my height even with a traditional awning!
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I use the upper feed in point at the rear end of the awning rail that makes it easier than feeding in from the bottom. The step comes in useful too.
The main problem I had was the glob of mastic in the awning channel left from when the common poor quality parts were thrown together. Took 3 trips to find that
when it finally popped out of the awning rail. So it may not be the awning that is causing issues on new caravans or where an awning hasn't been used before.
Funny old lark this caravanning, you have to expect the unexpected given the assembly of newer ones.
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Milenco Aero or Grand Aero mirrors with convex lenses win tor me.
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Sorry Pippah, I was meaning Milenco aero mirrors, not Aero awnings. I do agree about the awnings.weights though. I know of a few people who have had air awnings and said they are the best thing since sliced bread only to get rid a few months latter due to their weight.
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thank you all for your kind advice.
mirrors...looking to get these off amazon. £49. i think i will be better with flats.
Milenco Aero Flat Mirrors - Twin Pack with Case.i take all your wise words about an awning. once more i am trying to run before i can walk.
thanks again
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How heavy are the aeros for a single woman to thread into the awning rail?
Have I been going wrong somewhere, Pip, putting the aeros onto my wing mirrors?
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I use the Milenco grande aero, they the best
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It is not the size of the tow vehicle or caravan that determines the choise of the bigger or smaller mirror, but how large a field of view one wants to have. The larger the mirror the less precise it's adjustment needs to be, and for a solo tower it is a huge faff to get a small mirror spot on.
A tip for the OP (and others). Once the mirrors are adjusted to your satisfaction, stand at the nearside rear of the vehicle with your knee against the back bumper and memorise what you can see in the mirror. You then can reset that mirror to the same position in the future without having to keep going back to the driver seat to check.
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