I know the tow mirror conversions have been beat to death on this board.

I was thinking the other day about going ahead and doing the conversion to power and heat but got thinking. Even though I tow a good size cargo trailer, I never flip the mirrors, I don't really have to because I can see just fine behind me with them in the normal position.

My question is....Has anyone just converted the 2nd Gen tow mirrors to just heat? I would love to have a "defrost" setting on my mirrors for the winter coming up. Can you just replace and wire up the heated glass for a minor conversion?

I'm sure the mirror glass is available somewhere....I'm sure someone, somewhere has broken a 3rd Gen mirror at one time.

Just curious.

Jeff

 

Did a little surfing and answered my own question....

http://www.burcoinc.com/WebApp/Repor...CKUP&Year=2003

I'll head down to the local glass shop and see if these can actually be ordered.

Am I safe to assume that because my truck has power locks and windows, that the wiring should/ may be there for the normal small power heated mirrors?

 

That would be cool to just add heat. I have the flip-out tow mirrors and heat would be nice. I don't miss my power mirrors at all..

 

I had power on my 97 and never used them back then.

But heat would be a very nice addition. Going to see what the glass shop says in the next few days. I can't see a problem with just adding heat. I guess it's just a matter of doing it.

Have to see what happens.

Jeff

 

Made a couple of calls today and found out some pricing. Bear in mind that these are just over the phone. I'll stop in a try and hammer out a better price but here goes.

So far, both glass shops that I have talked to have said $90 cdn per side for the heated glass only. I know that I can do better on the price but this works for now.

I managed to pick up a factory AC/heater dash panel control with the heated mirror switch for $41 US on Ebay.

So I figuring about $250 cdn will easily give me heated mirrors. Was going to go power but won't really use them.

Now I just have to pop off a door panel and make sure the wiring is in there. My dealer said that my truck was originally scheduled for production with the standard power/heat mirrors and then ordered with tow mirrors. They say that other than the dash switch and mirror joystick, all the wiring should exist in the truck.

I'll keep you informed.

Jeff

 

I had a set of old mirrors off my Pete. the heater was a wire like three feet long taped to the back side. Just retaped them to my mirrors useing aluminum foil duct tape and these clean the mirrors off fast. maybe a trip to a big rig wreckihg yard could save you some $.

 

Any idea on how to get the existing glass off. I think I might try to take the heater tape off my sport mirrors and try to transfer it to my flip out's. Just don't want to break a mirror

 

Glass shop said you will break the mirror taking it off. It is held on with double sided tape, at least all the ones he has seen.

Might have to take a look see at the big truck stuff, possibilities there also I guess.

Jeff

 

In the snowmobile world we use heater tape for handlebar warmers, slick, simple and they work on 12v, and cheap, you can buy the heater tape for around 10 bucks for two tapes, wire them up on a 10 to 15 minute timer and voila.

I would however suggest you add a fairly big resistor (wattage) to reduce the temperature of the tape cause they get hot.