Gdetrailer wrote:
Absolutely the most misleading bunch of garbage I have ever heard.
You obviously don't really understand what REAL TRAILER TOWING MIRRORS on a PICKUP TRUCK should be like.
The OP HAS GOOD CHOICES OF AFTERMARKET TOWING MIRRORS, they WILL be MUCH BETTER THAN ANY SLIDE ON MIRRORS, PERIOD.
The aftermarket mirrors have many features just like the OEM mirrors, you can pull the mirrors out for towing, then push them in when not towing. They FOLD in or out so if they hit an object they don't break off.
They also can be folded in for tight spots like parking places or garages..
Slip on mirrors DEFEAT the ability to completely fold in the vehicle mirrors.
The aftermarket mirrors provide a much larger field of view than no slip on can AND the convenience of being able to pull them out or push them in in seconds. A very nice feature when you are towing and stopping somewhere and not worrying if some other motorist is going to break your mirrors in the parking lot.
Like I said, once you towed with a NON SEMI with REAL trailer towing mirrors you will never want to go back to a slip on type mirror. Just no comparison.
You are correct. This is garbage. Iโve towed with numerous factory tow mirrors, and yes they are nice but to post outright false info as fact is ridiculous. The Cipa slide on mirrors ALLOW the folding of the factory mirror.
Some older factory towing mirrors give less then both the factory and Cipa mirrors combined and some much more. Some towing mirrors are so large as to create a blind spot which can and has made for dangerous situations. Donโt ask me how I know.
When I bought my F150 I originally wanted the factory tow but when this one showed up without and I tried the Cipa there was no way I was going to spend the money for the difference as both had pros and cons.
Gdetrailer wrote:Terryallan wrote:DSteiner51 wrote:Gdetrailer wrote:donn0128 wrote:
Start calling wrecking yards for 250 or 350 towing mirrors.
I am pretty sure that you will not be able to retrofit F250/350 mirrors onto a F150 door WITHOUT MAJOR MODIFICATIONS and even then look pretty darn rednecky.
The doors between F150 and F250/350 ARE different so it isn't going to be a simple swap and done project..
I would suggest perhaps looking around for some aftermarket F150 towing mirrors which would be a direct fit.
Like THIS
Found HERE at $250 for the pair.
Yeah, I get it, $250 IS a lot, but I can tell you this, I HAD a pair of CIPA slide on mirrors and they ARE JUNK.
Pretty much any slide on mirror WILL vibrate, quite a bit.
They ARE a pain in the behind to put on and take off
They ARE a pain in the rear for folding in as in you CAN'T FOLD THE MIRROR IN WITH THE CIPAS ON.
Because the prevent your mirror from folding in you are risking breaking off the mirror if you hit an object or an object hits your mirror.
You can also get the mirrors I linked above with turn signal, puddle light and heated if you want an upgrade for $440 HERE
Why waste your time and money with trying to find used F250/350 mirrors then have to butcher up your door and mirrors to force something that was never designed for into working when there are already after market mirrors available that should be a direct fit?
Every con listed is false on my โ12 F150. I wanted factory towing mirrors until I found Cipa mirrors. No way Iโd go factory tow now.
No vibration, takes seconds to install/remove. Mirrors fold just like without.
Me as well. Just seconds to attach, and take off. no vibration. And you then have 2 mirrors on each side. Which is GREAT. You can aim the inside one down more toward the road, and know exactly where the TT is riding on the pavement. Aim the outside one down the side of the TT, and easily see when a vehicle pulls out or is close beside you. They are a win win.
Maybe he didn't tighten the set screw.
Nope.
Tightened the screw properly, but maybe you are immune to the vibration.
The CIPA I had was for a 97 Light Duty F250 which was based on the F150 chassis that year.
The standard factory mirror on the truck never twitched but the view from the CIPA mirrors was constantly shaking..
The CIPA design in order to slide over the factory mirror required a two piece clamp which was a royal pain to take off and put back on.. Basically had to slide the mirror on, then slide in the plastic clamping bar, then thread the big nut into the bar..
I think the shaking came from the fact that the entire add on mirror was held in place by on single plastic bar that wedged it on.. Not a good design and took 10-15 minutes per side screwing around with it to take on or put on..
Maybe they have "improved" the design IDK, but after dealing with a clamp on piece of junk, and then comparing to my 2003, 2006 and 2013 F250s which all had factory tow mirrors I would hands down vote for the real deal towing mirrors.. There simply is no comparison to the super sized view I get plus absolutely no vibration what so ever..
I never got all that good of view out of the CIPA add ons, compared to the real deal towing mirrors. My factory towing mirrors pull out nearly 8" on each side and that allows the full sized part of the mirror to get much more view than the small add on CIPA..
Tow once with REAL towing mirrors and you will say that there is no way you would ever want to go back to those slide on mirrors.
I have been there and done that.
OP HAS options, there ARE GOOD aftermarket towing mirrors which you simply pull off the original mirrors and put the aftermarket ones on.. Expensive, yes, but the view IS worth it.
By the way, could not even give away those CIPAs, no one wanted them, they ended up the trash after I traded that truck in..
Sorry you had issues with yours. Mine work great, and as luck would have it. The mirrors I got for the 04 fit the 2013 perfectly.
BTW. I have toed with REAL towing mirrors. The Big truck had mirrors all over it. One each side to look down the side, One tilted to see the stacks, A large fish eye to see where the tires are on the road, and one adjusted to see the lights on the refer. And they all vibrated more then the CIPA. But then the big truck didn't ride as smooth as the 150
Terryallan wrote:DSteiner51 wrote:Gdetrailer wrote:donn0128 wrote:
Start calling wrecking yards for 250 or 350 towing mirrors.
I am pretty sure that you will not be able to retrofit F250/350 mirrors onto a F150 door WITHOUT MAJOR MODIFICATIONS and even then look pretty darn rednecky.
The doors between F150 and F250/350 ARE different so it isn't going to be a simple swap and done project..
I would suggest perhaps looking around for some aftermarket F150 towing mirrors which would be a direct fit.
Like THIS
Found HERE at $250 for the pair.
Yeah, I get it, $250 IS a lot, but I can tell you this, I HAD a pair of CIPA slide on mirrors and they ARE JUNK.
Pretty much any slide on mirror WILL vibrate, quite a bit.
They ARE a pain in the behind to put on and take off
They ARE a pain in the rear for folding in as in you CAN'T FOLD THE MIRROR IN WITH THE CIPAS ON.
Because the prevent your mirror from folding in you are risking breaking off the mirror if you hit an object or an object hits your mirror.
You can also get the mirrors I linked above with turn signal, puddle light and heated if you want an upgrade for $440 HERE
Why waste your time and money with trying to find used F250/350 mirrors then have to butcher up your door and mirrors to force something that was never designed for into working when there are already after market mirrors available that should be a direct fit?
Every con listed is false on my โ12 F150. I wanted factory towing mirrors until I found Cipa mirrors. No way Iโd go factory tow now.
No vibration, takes seconds to install/remove. Mirrors fold just like without.
Me as well. Just seconds to attach, and take off. no vibration. And you then have 2 mirrors on each side. Which is GREAT. You can aim the inside one down more toward the road, and know exactly where the TT is riding on the pavement. Aim the outside one down the side of the TT, and easily see when a vehicle pulls out or is close beside you. They are a win win.
Maybe he didn't tighten the set screw.
Nope.
Tightened the screw properly, but maybe you are immune to the vibration.
The CIPA I had was for a 97 Light Duty F250 which was based on the F150 chassis that year.
The standard factory mirror on the truck never twitched but the view from the CIPA mirrors was constantly shaking..
The CIPA design in order to slide over the factory mirror required a two piece clamp which was a royal pain to take off and put back on.. Basically had to slide the mirror on, then slide in the plastic clamping bar, then thread the big nut into the bar..
I think the shaking came from the fact that the entire add on mirror was held in place by on single plastic bar that wedged it on.. Not a good design and took 10-15 minutes per side screwing around with it to take on or put on..
Maybe they have "improved" the design IDK, but after dealing with a clamp on piece of junk, and then comparing to my 2003, 2006 and 2013 F250s which all had factory tow mirrors I would hands down vote for the real deal towing mirrors.. There simply is no comparison to the super sized view I get plus absolutely no vibration what so ever..
I never got all that good of view out of the CIPA add ons, compared to the real deal towing mirrors. My factory towing mirrors pull out nearly 8" on each side and that allows the full sized part of the mirror to get much more view than the small add on CIPA..
Tow once with REAL towing mirrors and you will say that there is no way you would ever want to go back to those slide on mirrors.
I have been there and done that.
OP HAS options, there ARE GOOD aftermarket towing mirrors which you simply pull off the original mirrors and put the aftermarket ones on.. Expensive, yes, but the view IS worth it.
By the way, could not even give away those CIPAs, no one wanted them, they ended up the trash after I traded that truck in..
MitchF150 wrote:
My truck came with them... ๐ I like 'em... ๐
I did have the CIPAs on my 97 F150 and they were fine too. But not as good as the factory tow mirrors..
Mitch
I second this. My 2012 F-150 work truck has them and they are hands down the best mirrors I have ever used.
