Power Mirrors Extend For Safer Towing

Power Mirrors Extend For Safer Towing PICKUPS Accessories 32-4-29 After being ticketed for hauling hay with inadequate mirrors, four buddies brainstormed over beers on how to make an extending mirror. "We just kept messing with it and built a prototype. The first one took two minutes to extend," explains Dave Thompson. With more experimentation, the patented Power Vision electrically extending mirrors were ready for market. With the flip of a switch, the six-way mirrors extend in about three seconds. Using parts made in the U.S., the mirrors are assembled in Pendleton, Oregon. The product got a real boost when GM started offering the mirrors as an option on pickups. "When GM started putting them on, it gave us the credibility we needed," Thompson says. Power Vision sells the mirrors aftermarket for late model vehicles. Typical customers are RV owners, farmers and ranchers and others who haul wide loads. The mirrors work on GM pickups 1988 and later; Dodge Ram pickups after 1994; and Ford's Super Duty trucks starting after 1999, and 1992 and later E-series vans. The mirrors include a breakaway feature, folding parallel to the vehicle for car washes and when they bump into a garage door, for example. "Sixty percent are installed by the vehicle owners," Thompson says. "It's not real technical, but it takes time and you need to follow directions." Depending on the model and options, a set of mirrors ranges from $450 to $600, with a one-year parts warranty. Options include turn signals and heaters for frost-free viewing. Power Vision mirrors are sold through the company's website and through dealers. Dealership inquiries are welcome. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Power Vision LLC, 5678 NW Golden Ave., Pendleton, Oregon 97801 (ph 866 901-2957; www.powervisionmirrors.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.