Hood Mirrors?

[FawnaFox]

Hello, I have a 1998 Freightliner FS-65 with no hood mirrors, I want new ones but I don't know if it's worth the time and money to get them and install them. I plan on a backup camera, so are they needed? (Bus picture for ref.)

 

[Cheezewhiz]

More mirrors is more better, generally.

I had a little car I put mirrors on the hood to look cool/be funny, they wound up being more useful than the stock ones, lol.

Though, for a bus: the bubble mirrors that let you see your bumper and about a foot in front of it are absolutely pivotal. Two inches clearance in this parking lot? No problem!

 

[ewo1]

A backup camera is of no use when making turns or changing lanes. The mirrors are a great idea if you value maximum visibility!

 

[FawnaFox]

More mirrors is more better, generally.

I had a little car I put mirrors on the hood to look cool/be funny, they wound up being more useful than the stock ones, lol.

Though, for a bus: the bubble mirrors that let you see your bumper and about a foot in front of it are absolutely pivotal. Two inches clearance in this parking lot? No problem!

do you know where I can get some mirrors (that are of good quality) the ones on amazon have dubious reviews.

 

[Cheezewhiz]

Pick-n-pulls, junkyards, auto wreckers, craigslist/FB check the free section first) Sometimes thrift stores get random goodies, depending on the place.

Somewhere in this forum is a list of bus graveyards.

Amazon is awful, ebay can be okay, but shopping on the internet is a fool's errand 80% of the time and a scam the other 20.

Generally the only new things I buy are food and beer, but that's really just recycled carbon anyway

 

[ewo1]

A place to start looking/shopping

https://midwestbusparts.com/?s=mirrors&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1

 

[mmoore6856]

i took mine off as the convex was hard to see and when i had the hood open i kept running into them. now before you get snarky im blind in 1 eye

 

[Slapdash]

I think our 'hawkeye' bubble mirrors on the fenders actually create too many blindspots. I find them really distracting, particularly at night, when it reflects the headlights right back at ya. And like @mmoore6856 says above, I keep smashing into them and it makes it more difficult to work under the hood. I guess it was good to see if a little kiddo was hanging out by the front bumper during pick-ups and drop-offs, but in reality, they're always in the way.

 

[mmoore6856]

I think our 'hawkeye' bubble mirrors on the fenders actually create too many blindspots. I find them really distracting, particularly at night, when it reflects the headlights right back at ya. And like @mmoore6856 says above, I keep smashing into them and it makes it more difficult to work under the hood. I guess it was good to see if a little kiddo was hanging out by the front bumper during pick-ups and drop-offs, but in reality, they're always in the way.

Yea I forgot about the headlines blinding you I been 4 years without them and don't miss them. I seen some new semi trucks that do not have mirrors at all
They have a camera on each side and it don't have the usual blind spot. One rule we have in trucking is you should scan your mirrors every 9 seconds. Then you know what's around you.

 

[Slapdash]

Yeah, I wish I could toss mine, but Wifey won that argument!

Good to know about the 9-second rule. We're working out the bugs of an always-on back-up camera too, so we can see what's going on back there as well. Ultimate goal is a trailer with a car on it, just to make sure the car doesn't drive away on its own!

 

[nikitis]

I removed mine as well. They are mostly meant for kiddos walking in front of the bus. To look out for them. But we aren't driving kids any longer and there's no reason for people to be randomly walking around my bus any longer so good bye they went.

Also mine were SOOO dingy and wouldn't polish or clean up you couldn't see any kids through them anyway due to age. So they had to go. I'm not gonna bother replacing them. I don't see a need.

 

[FawnaFox]

I removed mine as well. They are mostly meant for kiddos walking in front of the bus. To look out for them. But we aren't driving kids any longer and there's no reason for people to be randomly walking around my bus any longer so good bye they went.

Also mine were SOOO dingy and wouldn't polish or clean up you couldn't see any kids through them anyway due to age. So they had to go. I'm not gonna bother replacing them. I don't see a need.

I can see why, but the way the mirrors on my bus are, I can't see the driver's mirror very well in my peripheral vision. I'd like to see the side of the bus while driving at all times, mostly because It is wider then a normal car, and I am not very experienced at driving a bus or any vehicle of it's size.

 

[nikitis]

Side mirrors are a must, and on your side mirrors, I'd add a second mirror which looks down. A blind spot mirror. So on each side at minimum, 2 mirrors, a rear mirror is helpful too.

 

[Cheezewhiz]

I've got a backup/security/dash camera system with four cameras.

I've found the screen is too distracting and keep it folded out of the way unless I'm getting in as tight in the rear as the bubble mirrors do in the front.

My bubbles are angled so that headlights from behind don't hit them at all. I can see about a foot around from front tire to front tire with them, that's it.

Pretty funny watching people in parked cars wigging **** when I get so close to them they can't see where I'm at. Great way to clear em out, lol

 

[busbum1997]

Hello, I have a 1998 Freightliner FS-65 with no hood mirrors, I want new ones but I don't know if it's worth the time and money to get them and install them. I plan on a backup camera, so are they needed? (Bus picture for ref.)

Where can you get them? I have a 1997 bluebird, and need new passenger side mirrors, (mine are rusted rotten) and i can’t find any!

 

[FawnaFox]

The mirrors that are on mine came with the bus, I don't know where to get any (good) ones. Amazon has some cheap ones, but they're not of good quality.

Where can you get them? I have a 1997 bluebird, and need new passenger side mirrors, (mine are rusted rotten) and i can’t find any!