Those little back-up mirrors
- Thread starter jpalaska
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gizmopt2002
New member
Yes, they do indeed come in handy, especially in busy parking lots. You call that a little critter?
Fro-Runner
New member
Oh yes! They do work once you learn how to use them. They work very well during the daytime but nighttime is a different story. It's ok at night if someone is coming perpendicular to you with headlights on but they do not work for dark objects or knee high posts sticking out of the ground. I found this out the hard way.... just look at the end of my sig below.
Yes, running into a moose at night with your vehicle is something we all want to avoid, especially if you're in a car.
Moose have long, thin legs, and if you hit one head-on in a car at speed, you'll break all the legs and the hefty body will slide neatly over your hood, and propel right through your windshield.
Don't expect airbags to save your head and upper body from that.
Also, moose are incredibly stupid critters. I've been on a hunting trip where there were 3 moose standing together, shoulder to shoulder. My hunting partner, who is a much better shot than I, shot the big bull. The bull immediately fell down dead, but the other two just stood there, munching on tundra plants.
We eventually had to chase away the two survivors before we could dress out the victim.
I think that in a 4Runner, you'd be high enough to survive a collision with an adult bull moose, but your engine and front end would be modified to the junkyard.
JP
Moose have long, thin legs, and if you hit one head-on in a car at speed, you'll break all the legs and the hefty body will slide neatly over your hood, and propel right through your windshield.
Don't expect airbags to save your head and upper body from that.
Also, moose are incredibly stupid critters. I've been on a hunting trip where there were 3 moose standing together, shoulder to shoulder. My hunting partner, who is a much better shot than I, shot the big bull. The bull immediately fell down dead, but the other two just stood there, munching on tundra plants.
We eventually had to chase away the two survivors before we could dress out the victim.
I think that in a 4Runner, you'd be high enough to survive a collision with an adult bull moose, but your engine and front end would be modified to the junkyard.
JP
It takes a little time and practice to use them.
And, quite frankly, it takes some faith in mirrors to put trust in them.
I've read in several reviews of the 4Runner, that they are "a kind of cool idea, but most people probably won't use them" And that's probably very true.
The way I've been trying to learn and test them is to pause in all kinds of situations when I'm backing up and look intently in the rear view mirror at each of those little mirrors in the back corners. It may look like there's nothing there or something there. Then turn around and look for yourself.
After a while your eyes (and brain) will learn to recognize the parameters of what those little mirrors are showing you. (and not showing you).
It's a little like learning to fly a plane ISR (instruments), rather than just flying VSR (visual).
I'm not yet fully trusting the little mirrors, but today I clearly saw the black image of the moose, with a white snow background and I stepped on the brake and then turned around and saw him. (initially there was a large bush at the end of my driveway between the moose and my straight-back vision). But I saw a large, dark object moving in the left little mirror and, sure enough, the moose was behind my truck on the right. It worked!
It's not intuitive, but if you work at learning it, those little mirrors could save you from getting rear t-boned in a parking lot.
JP
And, quite frankly, it takes some faith in mirrors to put trust in them.
I've read in several reviews of the 4Runner, that they are "a kind of cool idea, but most people probably won't use them" And that's probably very true.
The way I've been trying to learn and test them is to pause in all kinds of situations when I'm backing up and look intently in the rear view mirror at each of those little mirrors in the back corners. It may look like there's nothing there or something there. Then turn around and look for yourself.
After a while your eyes (and brain) will learn to recognize the parameters of what those little mirrors are showing you. (and not showing you).
It's a little like learning to fly a plane ISR (instruments), rather than just flying VSR (visual).
I'm not yet fully trusting the little mirrors, but today I clearly saw the black image of the moose, with a white snow background and I stepped on the brake and then turned around and saw him. (initially there was a large bush at the end of my driveway between the moose and my straight-back vision). But I saw a large, dark object moving in the left little mirror and, sure enough, the moose was behind my truck on the right. It worked!
It's not intuitive, but if you work at learning it, those little mirrors could save you from getting rear t-boned in a parking lot.
JP
I have them just the way they came, brand new, last month.
They're convex, so they seem to show both sides, perpendicular, fairly thoroughly. I mean, if there was a vehicle or person back there on either side, it would be in the little mirror. It's just a matter of tuning your eyes and brain to see and recognize what's there. (not as easy as it sounds).
JP
They're convex, so they seem to show both sides, perpendicular, fairly thoroughly. I mean, if there was a vehicle or person back there on either side, it would be in the little mirror. It's just a matter of tuning your eyes and brain to see and recognize what's there. (not as easy as it sounds).
JP
Kmvreter
New member
jpalaska said:
The way you describe it you are doing a double mirror thing (using the rearview to look into the corners.) The way I use them is to just look over my shoulder (because I still want to look out the back and sides) and look directly into each rear mirror.
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TheBlueWave
New member
I use mine when backing out of my garage at the corporate lodging facility. It shows me that cars may be coming perp. down the driveway. Also, its real tight there, so once I know that no one is coming, I use them to gauge the distance between my bumper and the park car's bumper behind me. I love the mirrors there, very innovative, very simple. A guy I worked with hit a moose in northern MN in a sports car and messed up his legs real bad. It's been 15 years and he still walks differently. Happened on the Gunflint Trail, sweet place to take the T4R if your trying to reach remote lakes.
