Technical Tips #61
By Bob Lowe Email: bob@rv-partsplus.com
VELVAC ® MIRROR REPLACEMENT AND ADJUSTMENT
Since Velvac ® brand exterior rear view mirrors are standard equipment on most Bounders, I thought that knowing where you can purchase replacement glass and how to adjust them might be helpful. Some of the information supplied is taken directly from the Velvac® website. You can go to it at www.velvac.com then click on the Products, Mirrors and the RV's Only links which will take you to the RV mirrors Technical Support. You can order the glass (or most other parts) online and they will be shipped to you. I find that accessing the Technical Support function in the upper banner of the website allows viewing the drawings of the mirror to determine which model you have (2025 or 2030 typically) to be very helpful. You can also read how to replace the glass, the head, or (re)-connect the wiring if necessary. The part numbers for the assemblies and individual parts are listed on the prints and you can download the PDF files to review offline. Read the instructions for replacement of the various parts that you are replacing and you should not have any difficulty. I have done this for a number of our customers and club members and found all tasks to be very straight forward and able to be done by the RV owner.
Adjustment of the mirror head should first begin by ensuring that the mirror glass is positioned equally on all four corners. The mirror glass should be level inside the mirror shell when viewed from side to side.
Loosen the mirror head adjustment screw, located on the mirror base under the mirror head, using a 3/16" hex wrench. (See arrow in Photo) With a driver in the driver's seat rotate the mirror head to the approximate viewing position and tighten the adjustment screws (75-100 in/lbs). For fine adjustment of the mirror glass use the remote control switch.
Figure A in the drawing below shows an improper adjustment of the mirror glass. The head has not been turned in relation to the arm which for viewing requires the glass to be positioned outside of the mirror shell housing. This will cause air currents to flow between the glass and mirror shell creating vibration in the mirror glass. Figure B shows a correct adjustment of the mirror head and glass. The mirror head has been positioned at the proper angle on the arm. The glass is enclosed inside the mirror housing which will minimize air turbulence between the mirror housing shell and the glass.
Adjustment of the Mirrors for Safe Driving
Now that the mirror is repaired and set correctly within the housing, the last step is to properly set the mirrors to see what is beside and behind the RV. Starting with the large upper mirror, have the driver sit in the driving position with seat and steering wheel properly adjusted. We recommend that up to 1/4 of the inside of the mirror (the side closest to the coach) be taken up by the side of the coach. This will give a good view of what is behind the coach as well as vehicles approaching on either side. Set the Earth's horizon about 2/3 to 3/4 of the distance from the bottom. Each driver may need to readjust when they take up driving, which is simple with the power mirror control. It is a good practice to learn the proper setting since in an emergency you will need to depend on the view out of the mirrors. The Convex mirror should be set so that the driver can clearly see down along the sides of the coach so that vehicles are not in a blind spot. These mirrors will not need to be moved.
