Passenger Side Mirror Arm Adjustment

[62_inrightlane]

Has anyone adjusted the arm outward to give a better rear view down the passenger side of the coach. When driving, with mirror housing in current position half the view is blocked by the awning arms folded against the side of the motorhome. There is a bolt at the top of the arm, however when I loosened it the mirror arm would not budge. Anyone have any ideas?

[15berkxl]

Yes loosen the top bolt and then swing the arm out but be careful not to go out too far or it will become a branch or sign finder.
When you have where you want it make sure you tighten the bolt good or the mirror will move on you when you get up to highway speeds (from experience).


Wayne

[Mmnsc]

You need to loosen the bolts on top of the mirror and the bolt on top of the arm closest to the motor home. Once the 2 bolts are loosened you need to rap the top of the bolts so that you can move the arm and mirror to make the adjustments. Tighten the bolts slightly so you can make the adjustments and once you have the proper position tighten up the bolts. It takes 2 people to adjust. Sit in the driver's seat and have someone move the mirror and arm until you can see what you want to see. It might take a couple of tries to get it comfortably adjusted.


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[62_inrightlane]

Originally Posted by 15berkxl

Yes loosen the top bolt and then swing the arm out but be careful not to go out too far or it will become a branch or sign finder.
When you have where you want it make sure you tighten the bolt good or the mirror will move on you when you get up to highway speeds (from experience).


Wayne

Wayne, I loosened that bolt and the arm wouldn't move. I didn't put much pressure trying to move it. Should
It move fairly easily or will I need to put a little muscle behind it?

Does the arm need to drop down out of some type of locking system to be moved? When I loosened the bolt it rose up and the arm didn't drop down.. Is it held in place similar to how a windshield wiper arm is held in place with a ribbed locking system?

[62_inrightlane]

Mmnsc, thanks you answered my question while I was composing it. I will dig out my rubber hammer and drive the loosened bolt down allowing me to make the adjustment.

I think moving it out a couple of inches will give me a much better view down the passenger side of the coach.

[edgewant]

As best I can recall I had to tap on the bolt with a socket extension and hammer to loosen it up.


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2013 Berkshire 390RB-60
Toad: 2002 Jeep Wrangler

[gordonsick]

I've adjusted the position of the Driver side mirror to be as close to the coach as possible without being blocked by the left pillar – don't want to knock any Customs agents on the head!

And, I moved the Passenger side mirror out to the point where the right pillar would block the view. I wanted to get a better view beyond the slides.

When I did this, I found that I needed to tighten the bolts to 15 ft lbs in order to prevent the wind from bending the mirror out of position. I wasn't sure how strong the fittings were, since some mirrors are made on pot metal frames. So, 15 ft lbs is the least tightening that worked. And it was about the same as they came from the factory with – I checked while loosening one.

[62_inrightlane]

Originally Posted by gordonsick

I've adjusted the position of the Driver side mirror to be as close to the coach as possible without being blocked by the left pillar – don't want to knock any Customs agents on the head!



And, I moved the Passenger side mirror out to the point where the right pillar would block the view. I wanted to get a better view beyond the slides.



When I did this, I found that I needed to tighten the bolts to 15 ft lbs in order to prevent the wind from bending the mirror out of position. I wasn't sure how strong the fittings were, since some mirrors are made on pot metal frames. So, 15 ft lbs is the least tightening that worked. And it was about the same as they came from the factory with – I checked while loosening one.

Thanks, great tip!

[joeplante]

It seems that you have to reset the cameras within the mirrors also once you get them adjusted to where you like them . mine are currently cock-eyed so I need to rotate them within the mirror .

[parduelay]

Partially loosen the nut, sprayed WD40, let sit overnight. Mirror was loose next morning. Be careful. The mirror is heavy.



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[AlmondFarmer_Ca]

What two bolts need to be loosened to move the mirrors? I tried the one top bolt and the mirror would not move. Where would I spray WD40?


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[gordonsick]

There are 14mm bolts at the top of two pivots. The one above the mirror tightens a ball, so you twist the mirror shell and swing the bottom back and forth and side to side. The one closest to the MH body just lets the arm swing back and forth.

I didn't use any lubricant, but my MH is not too old and they aren't corroded. They are very stiff and it is hard to make a fine adjustment, so make sure your ladder is stable and allows a good grip on the assembly.

Certainly using WD40 is a good idea. Let it soak in. The top of the ball is exposed at the top, creating a good opportunity to get WD40 on it.

Gordon


2015 Berkshire 34QS
2005 Acura EL aka Honda Civic

[I-RV]

There is a wedging mechanism. First loosen the bolt more then 1/8 inch outward. Then sharply rap the bolt downward to loosen the wedge. No - not with a rubber mallet. When tightening, the bolt needs to be tightened more then you would think. This is because the mirror/ arm needs to get wedged.

Be careful with your extending the mirrors, I have found many toll booths with only a couple inches between the mirrors and the steel columns that they use to protect the booth.
Hank

[gordonsick]

Ah, like a bicycle steering head. Handy to know, because less force is needed to adjust. I have found that 15 ft lb of torque is fine.


2015 Berkshire 34QS
2005 Acura EL aka Honda Civic

[I-RV]

X2 Gordon
Hank

[Marine]

I have a 2014 400 BH. I am putting a cover on it for the winter. How do I push the mirror arms in?

[dan-nickie]

Originally Posted by Marine

I have a 2014 400 BH. I am putting a cover on it for the winter. How do I push the mirror arms in?

There are 14mm bolts at the top of two pivots. The one above the mirror tightens a ball, so you twist the mirror shell and swing the bottom back and forth and side to side. The one closest to the MH body just lets the arm swing back and forth.

I didn't use any lubricant, but my MH is not too old and they aren't corroded. They are very stiff and it is hard to make a fine adjustment, so make sure your ladder is stable and allows a good grip on the assembly.

Certainly using WD40 is a good idea. Let it soak in. The top of the ball is exposed at the top, creating a good opportunity to get WD40 on it.

Gordon


2015 Berkshire 34QS
2005 Acura EL aka Honda Civic

[Oscarvan]

Yes on the "jam fitting". I got the arm to loosen from the fitting by just wiggling it up and down gently. No hammer, no WD40. I did loosen the bolt about 3 or so turns so it would have room to wiggle. Then tighten it up just enough to create friction and adjust.

There is no perfect spot for the passenger side mirror. If you put it to where you can see the whole mirror you are too close to the coach to see your rear tire. If you move it out far enough to where you can look "at" the side of your coach you can't see the whole mirror without leaning forward.

I went with the latter as I have to see my wheel to clear tight turns.

The camera is in the bottom parabolic mirror. It only adjusts by hand, not electrically.

This is not a two people job, in fact a "helper" makes it more complicated. You just have to run in and out a few times.

[gordonsick]

Originally Posted by Marine

I have a 2014 400 BH. I am putting a cover on it for the winter. How do I push the mirror arms in?

If the cover can fit without pushing the mirrors in, I'd leave them out, since adjusting them in the spring is a bit fussy.

But, if you have to push them in, get on a ladder to look down on the two 14mm bolts that hold the mirrors and arms. Loosen the bolt closest to the body and bang down on it with a plastic or rubber hammer to loosen it like a bicycle head. Then rotate the mirror assembly inward. When you put the arm back out after storage, tighten it to 15 ft lbs when you get it aligned properly.