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Old 07-19-2017, 11:11 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
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New Skoolie Owners -- Fisheye Mirrors Question?

Hello! We've been lurking here as we planned our project over the past 6 months and we've just driven home a 2007 Diesel GMC Short Bus and we're ready to get started We're based in Quebec, Canada and we're planning a pretty minimal refit (less seats, more beds) for "car" camping. We've got three kids.

Question: What are the pros and cons of keeping the existing fisheye mirrors mounted on the front of the hood? Admittedly I'm not entirely used to driving the thing yet but I find those mirrors distracting and of marginal use. If you've removed yours, do you regret it?

Thanks in advance!

Jay

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Old 07-19-2017, 11:23 AM   #2
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fish-eyes

I think they were mostly for seeing the front of the bus bumper area. In case there were small children in front of the bus. I removed mine, as per your own post, they were terribly distracting. Plus one of mine was partially caved in and the other's silvering was so distorted, it wasn't very useful. I don't plan on replacing them, but I'll have to plug the little holes on the hood where they were mounted.
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Old 07-19-2017, 11:27 AM   #3
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I had full intention to remove them from my buses. However, after driving with them for a while, I am getting a bit attached to them. I like the full view they give me.

That said... They are UGLY and I did just fine on my old bus without them....

From a utility standpoint: keep them.

From an aesthetics standpoint: lose them.

Drive around a bit and see how much you use them. If you find them helpful and can live with the ugly then keep them. If you don't find them useful enough to offset the ugly factor then remove them.
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Old 07-19-2017, 11:40 AM   #4
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Thanks for the responses, guys! I'm leaning towards getting rid of them and being diligent about checking the front before peeling out. I'll keep them around in case I miss them.
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Old 07-19-2017, 12:56 PM   #5
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I wouldn't consider removing mine, for 2 reasons.

First, I can see in front of my bus with them. This is useful for parking, but also helps for running over small children and pets, or avoiding them if that's more your thing.

Second, all the side windows on my bus are typically covered while driving. This leaves an absurd blind spot, making most left turns quite dangerous. The corner mirror takes some getting used to, but you can see those angles with it once you learn to use them.

Either one of those would be enough reason for e to keep them,but honestly #2 is the bigger deal. If you're going to remove your windows, cover them with reflectix, use curtains, or any of that sort of thing, you need that mirror or you will meet a tragic end making an otherwise unintersting left turn.
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Old 07-19-2017, 01:30 PM   #6
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Busboy mirror company makes them.. I have them and USE them on both of my busses.. they will never be removed.. in fact one of the mounts just broke and I repaired it..
-Christopher
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Old 07-19-2017, 04:34 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by brokedown View Post
I wouldn't consider removing mine, ......... helps for running over small children and pets,
I am convinced! I am keeping mine!!
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Old 07-19-2017, 04:41 PM   #8
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Being a professional driver, I am accustomed to most trucks having hood mirrors (my current Volvo, for unknown reasons, never did). Being a sleeper truck, the hood mirrors are very useful when making a left turn; I get a view of the road to my right side "blind spot" that the door convex mirror can't "see". In my bus, I have windows behind the door so it's much less of an issue. I still plan to keep the hood mirrors, as I can see the bumper and any pedestrians.
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Old 07-19-2017, 06:07 PM   #9
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I wont ever do a conventional again, and all the RE busses i have done, the crossover bar and mirrors are immediately ash canned. on a conventional, i would keep them of course.

"The only thing mirrors are for is to see who you have passed"
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Old 07-19-2017, 07:11 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chev49 View Post
I wont ever do a conventional again, and all the RE busses i have done, the crossover bar and mirrors are immediately ash canned. on a conventional, i would keep them of course.

"The only thing mirrors are for is to see who you have passed"

escept on a conventional..

if they made shorty RE's I might try one out ..
-Christopher
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Old 07-19-2017, 08:51 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shortbusted View Post
Hello! We've been lurking here as we planned our project over the past 6 months and we've just driven home a 2007 Diesel GMC Short Bus and we're ready to get started We're based in Quebec, Canada and we're planning a pretty minimal refit (less seats, more beds) for "car" camping. We've got three kids.

Question: What are the pros and cons of keeping the existing fisheye mirrors mounted on the front of the hood? Admittedly I'm not entirely used to driving the thing yet but I find those mirrors distracting and of marginal use. If you've removed yours, do you regret it?

Thanks in advance!

Jay
After driving approximately 2.5 million miles I really depend upon my fish-eye lenses. I use them more than any other mirror on my vehicles. I simply reposition them to look where I have blind spots on the sides of my personal buses. However, when I'm driving the real thing I use them as intended - to watch out for the little ones that are not paying attention to anything else but play time.....

M
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Old 07-20-2017, 07:16 AM   #12
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Thanks for all the additional replies, folks.

The "good for your side blind spots" angle doesn't seem to apply much to my bus. My side-view mirrors are "stacked" in that there is a top and a bottom mirror that can be aimed independently. While driving on the highway I found that there was very little (or nothing) that I could usefully see in the fisheyes that I couldn't see in the sideviews, with the exception of right in front of the bus.

I do have small kids, and some cats, but I think I'm comfortable trying to avoid squishing them without the fisheyes. I am planning on adding a backup camera, however. I'd even toy with the idea of putting a second one on the grill to look forwards.
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Old 07-20-2017, 09:30 AM   #13
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on my dog nose bus they where a must on the flat nose not so much, i love to be able to use all the room in a tight spot with out getting out and looking !
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Old 07-22-2017, 08:11 PM   #14
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Having never owned a bus until today and biggest thing driven being a Top Kick many moons ago, I like having the front fisheyes on my E450 Thomas 5 Window. Was nice to see the cars in the front fender areathat wete lower in height.
However they are right at head height n already came close nto knocking myself out.
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Old 07-22-2017, 08:32 PM   #15
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yeah, big waste of time on a RE bus.. if you are talking about the front cross over mirrors.. are good for hitting tree in tight spot... or telephone pole...
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