Anybody else not happy with the visibility of the tow mirrors?

[AirRyan]

I had the trailer tow mirrors on my previous RAM, a MY23 RAM 2500 Rebel HD, and I thought they worked great. So when I ordered my MY26 RHO, (one year old and 12k miles now) I decided to get them, as well.

While they are functional, I just don't like how much visibility they block, particularly at intersections and crosswalks. I've completely lost vehicles at intersections to my left and right, and even pedestrians at a crosswalk. Recently, in my own neighborhood, when I slowly started to go at the park at the crosswalk, some kid came running across my front bumper, assuming that I had seen him, (which I had not.) I'm 6'1" and I have to almost completely get out of my seat at intersections to verify whether there is anybody there or not. I come to the conclusions that it's just unsafe and I don't like my wife driving it in large part because of the mirrors. (That and she is shorter and has a hard time seeing anything out of the two different mirrors.)

I can't imagine taking the hit on a trade (not to mention how much more expensive the MY27's are) just to get out from the tow mirrors, but I so rarely tow as it is, I just wish they didn't take up as much visibility as they do. I've heard of a dealer doing the retrofit as they have the tools to reprogram the BCM, but I'm not certain any dealer can (or is willing) to do this. Thinking about filing a safety complaint with NHTSA.

 

[FLRAMPilot]

While it doesn't answer your question, I felt the same way. I like the utility of the forward/backward looking lights on the mirrors & other features, I don't really to much (when I do, it's relatively small loads/trailers) and when I test drove a Rebel with the tow mirrors earlier this year, I couldn't believe how much visibility I lost from inside with them. So when I started looking for an RHO in earnest, I decided I didn't want the tow mirrors for that reason. I was able to find a truck spec'd exactly the way I wanted, which includes the regular mirrors.