Van Modification Success: Goodbye Blind Spot Mirrors (1 Viewer)

[Rob Turner]

By far the best mod that we’ve added to our van so far.
I can’t take all the credit for this one, most of it goes to Motorhome Retrofits who I’ve been working with for months to bring this to fruition.
I couldn’t be happier with the outcome and am so pleased to finally bid farewell to the blind spot causing mirrors.
There will be a full YouTube video released on the whole process in the coming weeks and I will post more detail in the future but I just couldn’t wait to share this one.

 

[Dolmen]

They look fabulous, cars have them, Motorhome need them even more

 

[WESTY66]

looks good, looking forward to the review, I’ve got a damaged mirror but I’m not brave/rich enough to use cameras

Let me know which bin you throw the old mirrors in

 

[Jim]

Check it out. There is something seriously wrong with your windscreen.

 

[Rob Turner]

looks good, looking forward to the review, I’ve got a damaged mirror but I’m not brave/rich enough to use cameras

Let me know which bin you throw the old mirrors in

I have already sold the n/s but still have the o/s available for sale if it’s any use.

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[Rob Turner]

Check it out. There is something seriously wrong with your windscreen.

are you referring to the missing sticker.

If so, pop us one in the post, plenty of space to put it now I have lost the blind spot.

 

[DavidG58]

I think this is the way forward but worry that a monitor failure means you can’t drive

We have 360 cameras and the display failed after 2 years, we still had mirrors so not a big issue

 

[dunnah01]

What do you look at to see what's in the cameras?

 

[JockandRita]

By far the best mod that we’ve added to our van so far.
I can’t take all the credit for this one, most of it goes to Motorhome Retrofits who I’ve been working with for months to bring this to fruition.
I couldn’t be happier with the outcome and am so pleased to finally bid farewell to the blind spot causing mirrors.
There will be a full YouTube video released on the whole process in the coming weeks and I will post more detail in the future but I just couldn’t wait to share this one.

View attachment 933723View attachment 933724

I am glad that you are pleased with them Rob.

I drove a Mercedes Actros with cameras instead of mirrors, and found it to be awful, especially when the sun was behind me causing glare in the cameras. A tiny condensation spot on the O/S camera, manifested itself as a huge blur on the monitor. Gordon Bennett.
Also, when driving at night, it was extremely hard to see the kerb and double yellow lines illuminated from the orange trailer marker lights, which in the mirrors would have been very evident indeed. Also, when reversing on to a loading bay with floodlight illumination, it was almost impossible to gauge when your trailer was reaching the load bay............as you couldn't see it in the monitors.

Not for me I'm afraid, and having spoken to drivers of the latest DAFs with cameras instead of mirrors, they all say that they are worse than the Mercs. Some of the other drivers refused to drive the company's Mercs, and when 2 x Actros trucks were stuck in London due to camera failure, Merc's answer was to attend, remove the cameras, fit mirrors, and blame the failure of the cameras on collision damage...............despite no damage to the cameras in any shape or form.

Give me mirrors anytime.

Jock.

 

[Rob Turner]

I am glad that you are pleased with them Rob.

I drove a Mercedes Actros with cameras instead of mirrors, and found it to be awful, especially when the sun was behind me causing glare in the cameras. A tiny condensation spot on the O/S camera, manifested itself as a huge blur on the monitor. Gordon Bennett.
Also, when driving at night, it was extremely hard to see the kerb and double yellow lines illuminated from the orange trailer marker lights, which in the mirrors would have been very evident indeed. Also, when reversing on to a loading bay with floodlight illumination, it was almost impossible to gauge when your trailer was reaching the load bay............as you couldn't see it in the monitors.

Not for me I'm afraid, and having spoken to drivers of the latest DAFs with cameras instead of mirrors, they all say that they are worse than the Mercs. Some of the other drivers refused to drive the company's Mercs, and when 2 x Actros trucks were stuck in London due to camera failure, Merc's answer was to attend, remove the cameras, fit mirrors, and blame the failure of the cameras on collision damage...............despite no damage to the cameras in any shape or form.

Give me mirrors anytime.

Jock.

Thanks for the reply Jock

All you mention was addressed in the R & D over the last 12 months and should be sorted. I didn’t just buy a couple of cameras and monitors off Scamazon and stick them on. Myself and the installer have spent an awful lot of time to try and make sure this works out to be the best it can be.

The glare from lights, the rain/condensation on the lens, the spray, the icy mornings, the distance, it has all been sorted.

The original Actros cameras and also the Daf offering were crap to say the least.

Volvo have been late to the party and they have sorted all the previous issues with the new Aero.

I have only driven for 2 hours and am very impressed if I’m honest.

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[Rob Turner]

What do you look at to see what's in the cameras?

 

[DavidG58]

Bit vulgar, but hey, how much did it cost please

 

[Rob Turner]

Bit vulgar, but hey, how much did it cost please

Bit rude, I’m not saying what it cost me to sort but it will be a service that is offered by Motorhome Retrofits shortly.

 

[DavidG58]

Bit rude, I’m not saying what it cost me to sort but it will be a service that is offered by Motorhome Retrofits shortly.

Sorry, but don’t see it as rude when you post on a public forum saying how good it is

Everything is good up to a point financially, 10 years ago I reckoned everything cost me £5K, so with inflation I guess £8K which I consider a fair price

 

[Rob Turner]

Sorry, but don’t see it as rude when you post on a public forum saying how good it is

Everything is good up to a point financially, 10 years ago I reckoned everything cost me £5K, so with inflation I guess £8K which I consider a fair price

I would think less than £4k fitted. This was a figure that we spoke about today but nothing confirmed yet.

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[JockandRita]

I didn’t just buy a couple of cameras and monitors off Scamazon and stick them on.

I'm sure you didn't, nor do I suspect did Mercedes or DAF, whom you'd think would get it right from the start.

The glare from lights, the rain/condensation on the lens, the spray, the icy mornings, the distance, it has all been sorted.

The original Actros cameras and also the Daf offering were crap to say the least.

You are not wrong there Rob, but you'd think they'd get it right from the start.

Volvo have been late to the party and they have sorted all the previous issues with the new Aero.

I look forward to that experience.

I have only driven for 2 hours and am very impressed if I’m honest.

Excellent stuff.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[WESTY66]

I would think less than £4k fitted. This was a figure that we spoke about today but nothing confirmed yet.

Shudda walked in holding a go pro telling them you were a you tuber, you might have got em for nowt
One you cheesy youtuber has just had a full 360 system given and fitted for nowt, just requiring a review on it

 

[funflair]

It does look like a really tidy installation, looking forward to more information, re cost the last time I looked at the Morelo price list for these it was around €10k and they didn't even give you the long arm mirrors they weren't using

 

[Rob Turner]

It does look like a really tidy installation, looking forward to more information, re cost the last time I looked at the Morelo price list for these it was around €10k and they didn't even give you the long arm mirrors they weren't using

The attention to detail is amazing. I would definitely recommend James at Motorhome Retrofits.

I have secured a discount with them also but just need to sort the code etc.

 

[Rob Turner]

Shudda walked in holding a go pro telling them you were a you tuber, you might have got em for nowt
One you cheesy youtuber has just had a full 360 system given and fitted for nowt, just requiring a review on it

That doesn’t surprise me with the YT brigade
There are a few 360° camera systems out there but nothing like the one that Motorhome Retrofits supply.
It is totally bespoke and designed in house with 1Tb of storage.

A lot of kits on the market are just off the shelf and adapted to fit. I’m not putting them down but they just aren’t in the same league.

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[WESTY66]

That doesn’t surprise me with the YT brigade
There are a few 360° camera systems out there but nothing like the one that Motorhome Retrofits supply.
It is totally bespoke and designed in house with 1Tb of storage.

A lot of kits on the market are just off the shelf and adapted to fit. I’m not putting them down but they just aren’t in the same league.

It’s good to see a company that excels in the products they fit, such as Vanbitz, Offgrid power solutions, SAP, etc all have a very good name and folk will travel miles to use them.
For you Rob, only time will tell

 

[Minxy]

I'd like something like this on our MH as the mirrors really cause big blind spots and get in the way of seeing the scenery as they are bus type mounted at the top, I wish they'd fitted the ones earlier Carthagos had which were bottom mounted on the 'wing'.

 

[Rob Turner]

It’s good to see a company that excels in the products they fit, or Vanbitz, Offgrid power solutions, SAP, etc all have a very good name and folk will travel miles to use them.
For you Rob, only time will tell

The work that they turn out is top notch, they aren’t cheap but quality isn’t.
Attention to detail is meticulous.

 

[jezport]

Not for me, I sell mirror protectors.

 

[WESTY66]

Not for me, I sell mirror protectors.

Not for the likes of mine, Rob Turner and Minxy you don’t

Well actually Tob doesn’t need em anymore

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[Minxy]

Not for me, I sell mirror protectors.

Better get into selling camera ones then! I'll just take 10% commission on sales as payment for my obvious money making suggestion!

 

[Minxy]

Not for the likes of mine, Rob Turner and Minxy you don’t

Does anyone?

 

[WESTY66]

Does anyone?

I don't think so, im sure theres a business opportunity in there somewhere

 

[HKF]

I've always wondered if these also record and are connected to wifi, so all the journeys are stored on a server, somewhere?

 

[Rob Turner]

I've always wondered if these also record and are connected to wifi, so all the journeys are stored on a server, somewhere?

These do record to a storage card.
There isn’t an option for WiFi as yet but this is being looked at along with a hard drive for extended storage.

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