Don't waste your time moving that rear view mirror. Get one of those plastic
back up films that are made for campers wanting a back up view. Great
improvement.

William

> Thanks for the info Steve, I didnt know the proper way
> to set the mirrors on a BIG bus(I just got my
> Commercial Carrier license a year ago) and your right,
> the Westy's rear view mirror is useless, but not for
> long, i plan to move it down a bit, after hearing some
> older posts.
>
>
> By the way I think you just proved my theory that tour
> bus drivers, RV'rs, etc. who enjoy driving buses would
> ALSO enjoy the Vanagon becouse it turns just like a
> miniature tour bus am I wrong?
>
>
> Phil ***84' Westy Tiico "Millenium Falcon"
>
> My Vanagon turns on a dime, sharper than a Honda Civic
> hatchback!
>
>
> --- Steve Sullivan <steveis@SPEAKEASY.ORG> wrote:
> > Don't want to start an argument (been enough of that
> > lately), but here's a
> > tidbit to lend perspective (otherwise known as my
> > pet peeve):
> >
> > As a professional tour bus driver (and driver
> > trainer) at one time, we
> > learned the proper way to adjust mirrors on a
> > motorcoach. The short of it is
> > that about the center of the mirror is aimed exactly
> > where the road horizon
> > hits the side of the coach, giving almost only rear
> > vision. The same is
> > true, I'm sure, for semis. Remember, there is no
> > interior rear view mirror
> > possible. So that's how you check traffic behind
> > you, and to the sides near
> > the rear.
> >
> > When driving a bus, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE to look "over
> > your shoulder" and see who
> > is beside you, so you're supposed to always pay
> > attention (which no one in a
> > car does or there'd be vastly less accidents) and
> > always know the traffic
> > pattern around you, ie, where every car is. Not as
> > hard as it sounds, and it
> > becomes second nature. But for safety, all newer
> > coaches have very convex
> > mirrors that show (very tiny) the entire side of the
> > coach and lane beside
> > you. But it's easy to miss a car in that tiny
> > mirror, so it's still
> > important to see in your mind where everything is.
> > Incidentally, those
> > mirrors are used for corners and lane placement as
> > much or more than for
> > traffic control.
> >
> > In my cars I use my mirrors the same way, keep track
> > of traffic, and only
> > look over my shoulder (which I do every time I lane
> > change) as a
> > verification of what I already know, NOT to see
> > what's there. Because
> > accident statistics say that it's too easy to
> > overlook a car, it really is.
> > And that's when you're paying attention. In my
> > vanagon, I mounted a tiny
> > rectangular convex mirror horizontally to help see
> > side traffic.
> >
> > One last detail, at the company where I drove, the
> > blind spot was never an
> > excuse for having an accident. The whole side of the
> > coach is a blind spot.
> > You were never excused for hitting something else
> > because you were always,
> > always, always, expected to know what was around
> > you, and "if in doubt,
> > don't." This included being rear ended, because you
> > most likely contributed
> > in some manner and are expected to avoid accidents.
> > If only car drivers
> > would take a little responsibility too, but that's
> > anti-American, Bill of
> > Got-mine-and-screw-you Rights without
> > Responsibilities.
> >
> > Anyway, off the subject. Ahem. If you aim your
> > mirrors to the side of your
> > van, how will you see what's behind you? Your
> > internal rear view does a piss
> > poor job of showing you the entire picture. That's
> > why your "side view"
> > mirrors are actually called "rear view" mirrors.
> > That's why your neck is
> > designed to swivel.
> >
> > Steve
> >
> >
> >
> > On 5/6/02 7:06 AM "G. Matthew Bulley"
> > <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM> said:
> >
> > > Bill wrote: "By the way, how many people out there
> > have their side
> > > mirrors aimed to
> > > the rear, just like the rear view mirror?"
> > >
> > > You aren't alone in this peeve.=20
>
>
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