robroy:
Anyone remember those unbreakable ones that came out …in the 90s?
They never really caught on surprisingly, and phased out.
After a few months use they developed like a ‘glazing over’ type effect (a bit like a reaction to some of Carryfast’s posts ) and were difficult to see through, that was the main problem, but they could take a hell of a whack with little effect.
Yes we had some, as you say they were virtually useless after a few months. Zanetti mirrors were another short lived item, though they did give a good field of vision.
I did an awesome number in my first two weeks after passing Class 2. I was driving a 12 tonne DAF LF HIAB flatbed and was still getting to grips with the width (hey, an LF seemed huge after a Sprinter!). Was driving on an urban duel carriageway with lampposts set right on the kerb, and as a car came alongside me (was doing about 28 mph), I moved what I thought was slightly over to the left, and BANG! Post struck the mirror arm about an inch away from the window, blew out every mirror, cracked the window and laser alignment showed the whole door had been bent on its hinges!
Company was convinced the only way I could have done it was by reversing at high speed and whacking into something and accused me of lying. I took the TM out to the spot in question and showed them the point of impact, along with the thousands of pieces of glass littered over the pavement, but still didn’t believe me, so I promptly told them I didn’t like being accused of lying and left, no notice, after they’d paid for my class 2, and found a proper job! They chased for a while but in the end heard nothing more.
Twice, The first time I ever drove a 7.5, 25 years ago I hit a lampost.
Then A while back I stopped at the cafe for a sandwich, forgot to push it in and A tipper decided to take it with him.
It happened almost in slow motion, I saw him coming up the road looking at something and I thought Hes going to hit that, no he isnt, yes he is… smash.
Its ok though, I managed to hang on to my sandwich.
i remember 3 in my career…1 going up loch lomond meeting a southbound flyer,nowhere to go and we met like to medievil knights jousting mirror to mirror…2.same story on the bad bendy bits at ballantrae heading for the ferry…smash and gone…3 …i broke my nearside lens…to be fair,it was only when the rest of the truck fell over onto its side and squashed it.
Since driving HGVs none. Nor by luck than judgement, but that’s only 8 years. I drove transits before I passed class 2 and lost my fair share of them, probably 2 lenses and 4 mirror backs
Aurri:
5 for me so far, we do a lot of rural roads delivering pet food to kennels etc so plenty of places you really don’t want to send a van let alone a truck. 4 times tree branches on the nearside and once met a Tarmac tipper under a bridge and he took out the driver side and didn’t stop.
The plastic covers on Daf mirrors disintegrate on contact and despite suggestions of mirror protectors we have none so now I don’t bother having them replaced.
The self coloured DAF mirror covers seem to be of a thinner more brittle material than the black type. They cost more too.
That’ll be because the black ones are probably ptfe and the colours are made of Delrin or some derivative in which case probably harder to mould. So can’t make them so thick.
Twice in 13 years,if I’m in narrow country roads now I tend the fold in my O/S mirror in saves larry the logger or tommy the tipper smashing it to bits
Coming off the motorway at Avonmouth a few Sundays ago and a seagull decided to head ■■■■ me nearside mirror, never hit another lorries mirror though but have had the odd branch hit the nearside mirror on a dark country road but these things happen from time to time especially when a branch is unexpectedly protruding out .
I lost my passenger mirror in a big way, it was just after Easter and there were two of us in my lorry heading back down to Italy where the other driver had left his lorry as there was no load home for him.
We left Boulogne and were horsing down the nationals and I caught up a slower lorry, I asked my co driver if it was clear to go round and he said yeah, go for it.
I did and as soon as I was out far enough to see for myself I realised things were about to go horribly wrong. There was another lorry heading straight for us, I swerved back in and there was an almighty crashing sound as my passenger side mirrors disappeared.
We stopped and exchanged details and apologies with the other driver who was a quivering wreck and then had a few words between ourselves.
I bodged a mirror onto the mangled arm at the next place we came to that had a mirror and we went off on our way again, upon arrival in Italy I swapped the mangled mirror arm from my truck with the good one from the other drivers and we went our separate ways.
Twice for me. Once in two-way traffic going through the dartford tunnel, when I couldn’t get any further left into the wall - only to have an oncoming stobart truck hit me on my side of the road, and take my whole mirror arm off. I had to pull up on the offslip at thurrock, as a breakdown there. I never traced the stobart driver, as neither of us were exactly in a position where we could stop and exchange details.
The second time was driving down the A26 through Hadlow, and getting side-swiped by a 17t coming the other way. Mirror struck and cracked that time, but not completely banged off. There is a sharp left bend coming into Hadlow from the opposite direction, and I believe to this day that once again - I was hit on my side of the road by the oncoming rigid who had swung out a bit wide. I didn’t get a blameworthy for it, in any case.
My colleagues had the most bother with a stretch of the (now) A228 going through Colts Hill Village, near Pembury.
I avoid this road like the plague myself, but many a mirror has been lost down that road by many a fleet operator.
4 days a week,I travel along this stretch of road near Chelford,Cheshire.
During the winter months,it is dark,the road is very busy,and I regularly bash my n/s mirror on the same tree I think.
So far,nothing broken,but it’s only a matter of time with clowns like this on the loose !
Love the fact that 17 up to press have never broken a mirror.
It’s either my previous ‘‘5 minute drivers’’ theory, or they are setting off from the yard daily, point A to point B, all motorway driving.
How many of these 17 model drivers are trampers on varied work I wonder.
I used to drive centre wheel drive trucks and we were always smashing both mirrors. The poor sod who sat on the RHS was for ever ducking or twitching when you met another vehicle on a tight bit of road.
robroy:
Love the fact that 17 up to press have never broken a mirror.
It’s either my previous ‘‘5 minute drivers’’ theory, or they are setting off from the yard daily, point A to point B, all motorway driving.
How many of these 17 model drivers are trampers on varied work I wonder.
More like because it’s my lorry , and I think my work vareys more than most on here .also it’s to do with the mirror head strength , a lorry is more likely to hit either the hedge / trees or another lorry round here than perhaps any where eles in the country as iam sure windrush would agree
) and were difficult to see through, that was the main problem, but they could take a hell of a whack with little effect.
better put some in the cab 
