When it comes to hitching up and towing something behind your vehicle, you’re going to need some towing mirrors.
Legally speaking you must have towing mirrors in Australia, especially if you find yourself in an accident and want to be covered by insurance. But, more importantly, having a full view around your vehicle and caravan while towing is a matter of safety.
So, what are the best options for caravan towing mirrors in Australia?
Best caravan towing mirrors Australia (categories):
- Clip on towing mirrors
- Door mounted towing mirrors
- Extendable towing mirrors
In this article we’ll go through the three styles of caravan towing mirrors, so that you can figure out which one will best suit your needs.
We’ll also look at these common questions:
- Which caravan towing mirror should I choose?
- Do I need towing mirrors for a caravan in Australia (legal requirements)?
- Can I leave towing mirrors on when not towing?
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CLIP ON Caravan Towing Mirrors
The clip on-type are a popular option for caravan towing mirrors that don’t need to be permanent fixtures. These guys are really quick and easy to install onto your existing vehicle mirrors and can be adjusted from inside the car.
Clip on mirrors are often the cheapest option, but are not always as stable as the more permanent options shown down below.
Many people complain of clip on mirrors falling off and shaking during the drive (meaning they have to be readjusted on the regular). But… as with anything, there are people who give rave reviews for their clip-ons. I guess you’ll just have to try them for yourself and see what works.
Camec Clip On Towing Mirrors
The Camec Clip On Towing Mirrors are a universal unit. They have a large flat glass surface, with an aerodynamic and durable design.
Features:
- Storage bag
- Universal fitting
- Quick and easy to fit onto car side mirrors
- Aerodynamic and durable
- Straps for added security
- Doesn’t obstruct existing mirrors
NOTE: These are often sold individually, so make sure you order two.
| Price | From $23.95 (single) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • CAMEC Clip On Towing Mirrors → |
Drive Clip On Towing Mirrors
Drive Clip On Towing Mirrors slide over your existing side mirrors, no tools required. They’re fully adjustable and don’t obstruct the view with your existing car mirror.
Features:
- Quick and easy to fit
- No tools required
- Fully adjustable
- Doesn’t obstruct existing mirrors
NOTE: Sold individually.
| Price | From $35.99 (single) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • DRIVE Clip On Towing Mirrors → |
Drive Multi Fit Towing Mirrors
The Drive Multi Fit Towing Mirrors clip straight onto your existing vehicle mirrors and are fully adjustable. This one will fit any mirror size from 105mm to 275mm.
Features:
- Easy to fit, clamps over car side mirrors
- Fully adjustable to suit variety of vehicles
- Doesn’t obstruct existing mirrors
- Includes adjustable wide view mirror
- Adjustable to fit on left hand/ right hand side mirror
- Fits from 105mm to 275mm mirror heads
- Width of mirror: 218mm
NOTE: Sold as single or pair.
| Price | From $35.99 (single) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • DRIVE Multi Fit Towing Mirrors → |
Drive Easy Fit Towing Mirrors
The Drive Easy Fit Towing Mirrors are among the most popular for price and ease of use. You simply clip them onto your car side mirror and secure it with the adjustable strap.
Features:
- Easy to fit, clamps over side mirrors
- Doesn’t obstruct existing mirrors
- Adjustable strap included
NOTE: Usually sold as a pair.
| Price | From $54.99 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • DRIVE Easy Fit Towing Mirrors → |
Ora Clip On Towing Mirrors
The Ora Clip On Towing Mirrors are sold in pairs and will easily give you the extra visibility you need when towing a caravan. Easily adjustable from inside the car.
Features:
- Fully adjustable horizontally and vertically
- Easy to install and remove
- For towing vans up to 2.4m wide
- Shake resistant
NOTE: Sold in pairs.
| Price | From $169.99 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • ORA Clip On Towing Mirrors → |
| See all Caravan RV Camping CLIP ON TOWING MIRRORS → |
DOOR MOUNTED Towing Mirrors
Door mounted towing mirrors are a little more fiddly to attached and detach, but they provide much more stability, particularly against wind from overtaking trucks and vehicles.
If you’re not looking for a permanent towing mirror (i.e. you want to be able to remove them once you get home), but still want durability, then the door mounted mirrors are probably the go for you.
Ora Big Red Magnetic Door Towing Mirrors
The Ora Big Red Magnetic Door Towing Mirrors are made for the Aussie conditions and extend 500mm from the car’s side mirror for a full view down the side of the caravan. They fit to the existing side mirror and offer a magnetic support for extra stability.
Features:
- Extra wide vision (up to 500mm extension)
- Fits to exisiting side mirrors
- Magnetic support for extra stability (with anti-scratch fabric)
- Suits both sides of vehicle
- Weight: 1.72kg each
NOTE: Sold individually.
| Price | From $52.99 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • Door Mounted Towing Mirrors → |
Ora Enzo Magnetic Towing Mirrors
The Ora Enzo Magnetic Towing Mirrors attach to the door with a non-scratch plastic clip that slides down beside the door’s window. The bottom of the mirror is held in place with an anti-scratch magnetic pad, providing stability.
Features:
- Non-scratch plastic clip for the door
- Non-scratch magnetic pad
- Mirror head: 200mm x 135mm
- Can be used horizontally or vertically
- Fits right hand and left hand doors
- Weight: 2kg each
NOTE: Sold individually
| Price | From $148.90 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • Ora Enzo Magnetic Towing Mirrors → |
Camec Door Towing Mirrors – Ratchet Type
The Camec Door Towing Mirrors are a heavy-duty ratchet strap style. The mirror extends from 330mm out to 470mm.
Features:
- Ratchet T bar for firm fitting
- Rubber mounting pads
- Extends from 330mm to 470mm
- Mirror head: 229mm (w) x 155mm (h)
NOTE: Sold as a pair.
| Price | From $184.60 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • CAMEC Door Towing Mirrors → |
| See all eBay DOOR MOUNTED TOWING MIRRORS → |
EXTENDABLE Towing Mirrors
If you plan on towing frequently and can’t be bothered with installing mirrors every other week, then I’d recommend opting for the extendable towing mirrors.
Extendable towing mirrors are a permanent fixture, which completely replace your existing car side mirrors. Installation is pretty easy, just make sure that you purchase the right mirrors to suit the make and model of your vehicle.
To use, you simply slide the mirrors out when you’re about to tow, then push them back in once you unhitch. Easy as!
The extendable style make for the best caravan towing mirrors for travelling Australia full-time.
Clearview Towing Mirrors
Clearview are Australia’s original full replacement towing mirrors, which as the name suggests, replace the existing side mirrors on your tow vehicle.
There are two mirrors within the Clearview set up. The top one has a flat, reflective surface, looking directly down the side of the caravan. The bottom piece is a convex mirror, which catches the blind spots and shows out to the lanes beside your car.
As Clearview mirrors are permanent, you simply slide the mirrors out when you’re ready for towing. This puts you at about 200mm of mirror extension over a standard car mirror.
Once you unhitch, slide your mirrors back in for normal driving, avoiding the ‘over dimensional’ fine (for being too wide).
Features:
- ADR compliant
- 100mm in standard position
- 200mm when extended
- Easily slide the mirrors out for towing, then back in afterwards
- Can fold the mirrors inwards if need be
- To suit 32 different common vehicle models
- Works with your vehicle’s standard mirror features (lights, indicators, electric adjustments etc.)
NOTE: Make sure you buy the correct pair for your vehicle’s make and model.
| Price | From $845 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • CLEARVIEW Towing Mirrors → |
MSA Towing Mirrors
The MSA Towing Mirrors have been designed with work and play in mind. They can be slid in for every day use, then easily slid out for towing the caravan, giving a clear view beyond the back of your trailer.
Features:
- ADR compliant
- Adjustment for either horizontal or vertical positioning
- Mirror automatically adapts so you retain electric functions (e.g. up, down, left, right)
- Fold inwards/ outwards when bumped in carparks or trees when off-roading
NOTE: Make sure you buy the correct pair for your vehicle’s make and model.
| Price | From $770 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • MSA Towing Mirrors → |
Tuff Terrain Towing Mirrors
The Tuff Terrain Towing Mirrors are another great extendable towing mirror on the market, but a bit cheaper than some of the others.
Features:
- Unextended length (from door footing) – 475mm
- Extended length (from door footing) – 560mm
- Electric mirror adjustment
- Smoke lens indicators
NOTE: Make sure you buy the correct pair for your vehicle’s make and model.
| Price | From $332 (pair) AUD |
| ➤ eBay | • TUFF TERRAIN Towing Mirrors → |
| See all eBay EXTENDABLE TOWING MIRRORS → |
Which Caravan Towing Mirror Should You Choose?
Deciding on which type of caravan towing mirrors are going to be the best option for you largely depends on how often you plan on towing each year.
If you’re just going to be heading off for a few holidays throughout the year, the clip on or door mounted towing mirrors are perfectly fine. The benefit here is that you don’t need to worry about having those big ‘dumbo ears’ to permanently worry about.
However, if you plan on doing regular trips or are hitting the road permanently (or for extended travel), it’s recommended that you install the extendable towing mirrors. Your mirrors will always be ‘tow ready,’ all you need to do is slide them out.
| TOWING MIRRORS | PROS | CONS |
|---|---|---|
| Clip On | • Detachable • Quick & easy to attach • Cheapest option | • Must reattach before each towing trip • May be affected by wind & bumps |
| Door Mounted | • Detachable • Solid & stable | • Must reattach before each towing trip • Bulky to store • Fiddly to attach |
| Extendable | • Permanent • Solid & stable • Slide in and out as needed | • Always have larger mirrors, even when not towing • May need to pull them in while in carparks • Most expensive |
Towing Mirror Conclusion:
- For occasional towing – Clip on or door mounted towing mirrors
- For regular towing – Extendable towing mirrors
Do You Need Towing Mirrors for a Caravan in Australia?
Yes, you need towing mirrors for towing a caravan in Australia, it is a legal requirement. The ADR (Australian Design Rule) sets the legal requirements of what field of vision is necessary with a vehicle’s external mirrors, including towing mirrors.
Here’s an excerpt and diagram from Australian Design Rule 14/02 – Rear Vision Mirrors:
The function of ADR 14/02 is to specify requirements for devices that provide indirect vision such as rear vision mirrors or cameras.
The field of vision shall be such that the driver can see at least a 4 m wide, flat, horizontal portion of the road, which is bounded by a plane parallel to the median longitudinal vertical plane and passing through the outermost point of the vehicle on the driver’s side of the vehicle and extends from 20 m behind the driver’s ocular points to the horizon (see Figure 6).
In addition, the road shall be visible to the driver over a width of 1 m, which is bounded by a plane parallel to the median longitudinal vertical plane and passing through the outermost point of the vehicle starting from a point 4 m behind the vertical plane passing through the driver’s ocular points.
What does it all mean?
Basically, you need to have a clear, unobstructed view right down the length of your caravan and be able to see 20 metres beyond the back of it.
To obtain that vision, caravan towing mirrors are the only way to achieve this as they are wider than what you’re towing.
Can You Leave Towing Mirrors on When Not Towing?
The short answer is no, you cannot drive with towing mirrors on when you’re not towing.
The ‘over-dimensional’ law:
The ADR specify that nothing is to extend 150mm beyond the side of your vehicle. If you’ve got a caravan on the back, then that 150mm applies from the side of your caravan (being the widest point).
Legally you’re not allowed to be driving around with towing mirrors on if you’re not towing (they’re too wide). The exception here are the extendable mirrors, which need to be slid back in when not towing.
Yep, you can actually be fined for driving with mirrors that are too wide. So, if you opt for the clip on or strap on mirrors, they legally must be removed each time you unhitch the caravan.
Extra On-Road Safety Tips
Rear View Cameras
Having a rear view car camera is a great addition for towing. Thankfully, most of the modern cars come with them as standard or optional extras.
The benefit of having a rear view vehicle camera that you can switch to while driving, means that you’re able to have a quick look at what’s going on at the tow hitch if something doesn’t feel right. They’re also extremely handy for reversing and hitching up the caravan.
An additional rear view camera on the back of the caravan helps with backing into caravan sites, plus it also gives you an extra view of what’s behind you while driving.
UHF Radio
A UHF Radio for towing a caravan is a ‘must have’ item. It’s essential that other drivers on the road are able to contact you should something be wrong. In addition to that, you need to be able to reach truck drivers, and vice-versa.
Communicating with a truck driver to let them know that you’re going to overtake, or the truckie letting you know that they are going to come around you, requires the humble UHF radio. It’s not only good road etiquette, but it’s also a matter of safety.
First Aid Kits
Australia is one vast country with many sections of dry isolation. Make sure you always have a well-stocked First Aid Kit with you and be sure to include a few snake bite bandages.
Along with that, it’s always essential to carry at least 20L of drinking water, if not more.
Here are some ready-made First Aid Kits to spread throughout your caravan, vehicle and hiking packs.
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This is a must-do in our road trips, Thank you for reminding us of the right mirrors for the size of your 4w4 or van and for giving us extra safety travel. I love this content.
Clearview Towing mirrors are awesome because they are too much stable. Some mirrors concentrate and reflects the sun rays in our eyes, which is so annoying. Not good nor safe while driving. Thanks for sharing this informational post.
I had no idea how many choices there were and this will definitely come in super handy. So important to pick the right option for our needs and road safety!
I don’t have a need for this right now, but I’m sure at some point I’ll have to reference back to this handy review. I didn’t realize how many options were out there. I don’t know if towing mirrors are required in the US, but it should be if it isn’t.
I am a bit user of my mirrors when I drive so it would be even more important for me to get the right ones if I was driving a caravan. I never knew there was such a variety of mirror options! The table is a great way to compare the features. I would definitely opt to add a rear view camera to help with parking.
There are quite a few styles to choose from, which is good for whether you’re needing a permanent set of towing mirrors, or just the occasional pair. I can’t even remember life before having a reversing camera!
This is so important for road safety to make sure you have the right mirrors for the size of your camper or van so this article is helpful.
Definitely important
That is so interesting that in Australia towing mirrors are required. I don’t think they are required in the US, but I do have a backup camera and use that when I tow. If I have to back up I generally have someone get out of the car to help me.
Isn’t it interesting how the rules vary across the world. Definitely a requirement in Oz.
Just a note from my experience with Clearview Towing mirrors. They are great for what they do and are very stable, but….. when choosing a finish, I chose chrome because they looked good. Big mistake on my part, as the internal corner of the mirror frames sometimes concentrates and reflects back the sun in your eyes!!!! Not good, nor safe. I remedied this by applying dull grey tape to these internal corners and edges. But I should have chosen the flat black exterior finish and not had the problem in the first place.
Actually I totally agree with you there. We also ordered the chrome purely for aesthetic reasons, but gosh those things reflect the sun!