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Old 01-03-2019, 01:10 PM   #1
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Tow mirrors for 2002 E250 Sportsmobile

Hello!
I've been a long time viewer (lots of great information here!) but I don't recall posting, so here goes!

I have an 2002 E250 EB Sportsmobile that I carry dirt bikes in and occasionally camp in it but the wife will not go with me, she wants a shower, so I'm purchasing a small trailer to tow behind.
I can't find anything in the way of pull out mirrors that the Ford trucks have. I'd rather do that than have a slide on mirror.
I looked at Carid and A1Auto and no one seems to make anything, can anyone give me any options to find tow mirrors for this van?

Thanks!

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Old 01-03-2019, 01:27 PM   #2
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Order the mirrors for a 2003 or newer E-series. You'll have so drill a couple more holes, as the '03+ mirrors are a 4-bolt pattern, and only the top and bottom ones can reused. It's pretty straightforward.

There's been a couple group buys here for actual Ford tow mirrors (which are built a little better than the aftermarket ones), which have some pics on the conversion.
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Old 01-03-2019, 01:41 PM   #3
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Great thank you!
I'll keep an eye open for the group buys on the mirrors.
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Old 01-04-2019, 04:48 AM   #4
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These are the types mirrors CarringB refers to: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-2016-O....c100290.m3507

These come with or without power movement and CarringB is 100% correct OEM's are much much better quality than the aftermarket variety. They're also significantly easier to replace the individual mirror elements if that's ever necessary.

HTH
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Old 01-04-2019, 07:24 AM   #5
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I bought the non oem ones cause im poor. other than some vibrations when the stereo is up they work pretty good. they've been auto folded against my van numerous times from brush and limbs. no cracks in plastic or issues with the actual mirrors as of yet and ive had them on for about 4 years now.
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Old 01-04-2019, 08:26 AM   #6
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To Shenrie's note.... yes, the aftermarket ones are fine. Mine worked for a good 150,000 miles. But I did add a set of earplugs to cut back on vibration, as a shim between the edge of glass and edge of housing. But, eventually they did eventually slow down, start binding, and eventually seized. The OEM ones are sealed up better so they shouldn't even bind or seize up. And you don't need earplugs to dampen the shaky image.

So... had no regrets with the aftermarket ones, but I'm happy I was able to get in on the group buy for the OEMs.
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Old 01-04-2019, 09:57 AM   #7
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CIPA makes slip on mirrors that are a snap fit for your specific vehicle. They are excellent for part-time use. I landed on those after a bunch of trials.

I've towed everything from small popups to large toy haulers. The single most important thing for me without tow mirrors was a good bubble mirror. After that, the tow mirrors can be useful for scanning what's trailing you but the bubbles ultimately get the most use. I like a larger bubble mirror which is semicircle in shape/not a full circle. More useful area.

PS - My wife originally had to have full facilities - but when she realized that it's so much easier to not have so much stuff along - the pros outweighed the cons. Start with a one nighter with a site with showers, then progress. It's a stealth training assignment. Should you accept this assignment, we will disavow any knowledge of it.
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Old 01-05-2019, 04:34 AM   #8
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Ya know it occurs to me with the growing popularity and usefulness of rear view camera systems as well as declining prices that might be an alternative to towing a trailer?

I've also seen the wireless systems becoming more available which would make such a system more flexible and not needing any sort of hard-wired installation.
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Old 01-05-2019, 08:30 AM   #9
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I replaced the stock 2008 mirrors with the OEM tow mirrors. They work great, although they do vibrate a bit more than the small mirrors....completely worth the trade though.
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Old 01-05-2019, 09:04 AM   #10
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I need some! I like the look and also for towing our camper. Waiting for some to show up on Craigslist or here!
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