Replacing side view mirror on 2011 Journey

[adventurous2]

My husband took a left side turn to tight in our RV parking lot and hit the passenger side mirror/arm of the coach next to us. It is bend forward and will not move back. The chrome on the mirror itself is also scratched.

I called Mobility RV and they can order a whole new set.(arm and mirror)
My questions this... do we need special wrenches or other tools to get the old one off (and the new one on) and how much electrical stuff is hidden inside the arm: heated mirror etc? Is this a job we can do?? We are handy and know our way with tools but don't know what surprises we might find. Also does it take special caulking? It looks like the drivers side mirror has black caulking.
The owners are OK with us doing it, the alternative is a $$$ bill from you know who.

You guys(and gals) have helped me out before and I know someone will give me the info we need to tackle this unexpected project!!
Ellen

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Should be instructions and diagrams with the new mirror. Silicone calking will keep water and insects out.

 

[Mr_D]

I replaced both arms on our previous '02 Dutch Star with longer ones (there's a joke there someplace I'm sure). We had a cat that liked to sit on the dash right in my line of sight, the longer arms moved it out and up enough that I could use it again. There are wires inside that I had to butt splice and lengthen but that was all that I needed to do. Standard hand tools too although allen wrenches are a standard tool to me.

 

[RTegarini]

I'm not familiar with your specific model and mirrors, but if the mirror manufacturer is Velvac, you might try Ryder Fleet Products.

I replaced my OEM Velvac mirrors to ones that were taller and had more mirror-glass surface area to better see the roofline when parking around trees. Must be easy to replace, as I did the work myself!

Their price was far less than ordering direct from Velvac and yet were drop-shipped from Velvac.

 

[cbeierl]

I'm not sure just which mirrors you have, but you might find this helpful:

http://www.velvac.com/sites/default...emoval_and_replacement_of_2030_components.pdf

 

[adventurous2]

Thanks all of you for the response.
I did contact Velvac and they were very helpful.
They told me where to find the number of the mirror assembly. That was needed for the replacement and I ordered it directly from Velvac yesterday. They also had a mirror specific instruction bulletin . SO now the fun starts next week when we will install the new mirror assembly!
Typically they build them as needed but with luck they had one in stock and we did not have to wait 3 weeks. (the owners of the coach are leaving in 3 weeks!)
Thanks again!! irv2 is awesome!!!!
Ellen

 

[bobmac-WO]

I removed my PS mirror last spring. It is fairly simple. The mirror head is locked in place to the arm by hex head lock nuts hidden under round plastic covers that can be removed with a small slotted screwdriver. The mirror head can also be removed from the arm. The whole assembly can be removed from the coach by lifting/removing the four plastic tabs on the mount. Underneath there are four large Torx head screws that hold the mirror assembly to a bracket on the chassis. The wiring harnesses in mine had connectors so removal and reinstallation was simple. Think you need four hands at times to do some of this so bring a friend!

 

[1ciderdog]

I removed my PS mirror last spring. It is fairly simple. The mirror head is locked in place to the arm by hex head lock nuts hidden under round plastic covers that can be removed with a small slotted screwdriver. The mirror head can also be removed from the arm. The whole assembly can be removed from the coach by lifting/removing the four plastic tabs on the mount. Underneath there are four large Torx head screws that hold the mirror assembly to a bracket on the chassis. The wiring harnesses in mine had connectors so removal and reinstallation was simple. Think you need four hands at times to do some of this so bring a friend!

I had to replace the passenger side mirror on my Journey - If memory serves me correctly the process described by Bobmac is exactly right.

 

[jerichorick]

I hope the mounting bracket the mirror assembly attaches to is not bent or the fiberglass of the nose damaged. That would complicate matters.

 

[Dr4Film]

There is one tool that you will need that is NOT a standard household tool. It is called a .065 Pin Extractor.

You will need that to extract all of the wires from the Molex type electrical connector because the connector will NOT go through the opening in the base which is attached to the coach. Also, take notes and pictures of where the wires go into the connector so you can replicate them exactly.

The connector may be called a Mate-N-Lok connector which is a two piece connector that needs to be taken apart before you can extract the pins.

Radio shack carries the .065 pin extractor.

I recently finished a project of removing the Velvac mirrors from my coach and installing two Ramco mirrors. I went from Velvac two glass mirrors with one glass remote & heated with turn signals to Ramco three glass mirrors with all remote & heated glass with embedded LED turn signals plus In-Vue cameras.

It was quite the project but well worth the time.

So I've Been There and Done That!

Good luck and with some patience it can be done.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

 

[jerichorick]

My husband took a left side turn to tight in our RV parking lot and hit the passenger side mirror/arm of the coach next to us. It is bend forward and will not move back. The chrome on the mirror itself is also scratched.

I called Mobility RV and they can order a whole new set.(arm and mirror)
My questions this... do we need special wrenches or other tools to get the old one off (and the new one on) and how much electrical stuff is hidden inside the arm: heated mirror etc? Is this a job we can do?? We are handy and know our way with tools but don't know what surprises we might find. Also does it take special caulking? It looks like the drivers side mirror has black caulking.
The owners are OK with us doing it, the alternative is a $$$ bill from you know who.

You guys(and gals) have helped me out before and I know someone will give me the info we need to tackle this unexpected project!!
Ellen

I just remembered that I took that mirror off the coach last summer. The mounting bracket wasn't adjusted correctly and the fiberglass was being sucked in. Looked bad. I removed the 4 corner covers and removed the bolts. I don't recall what they were head wise. The connector can be disconnected from the inside of the hood. It will slip right out the hole behind the mirror mounting foot. Just remember to plug it back in. I discovered I hadn't done mine when I was getting ready to travel. The thing is a bit hard to handle so an extra pair of hands is a good idea.

Rick Y

 

[mchero]

I have the chrome Velvac mirriors on our rig. I need to replace the arm on the drivers side. Chrome startting to peel


ALSO:
I have an issue with the way they (Fleetwood) mounted the mirror. I notice it bounces alot & discovered that Fleetwood used screws to attach to the side of the coach. I'm going to order a new arm becaus of hte peeling chrome. I'll then run some thru holes and then mount it with a lag bolt type of setup.


Pin extractor a good suggestion. I just happen to have one laying around! LOL

 

[1ciderdog]

I didn't need a pin extractor - there is a mirror connector on my motorhome. The new mirror had the same connector so on mine it was easy to connect the new mirror. On mine that connector is located in the body of the motorhome where the mirror connects to the motorhome. Just had to pull the wiring out a bit. As mentioned in a previous post it is a good idea to have a second set of hands when trying to hold the mirror assembly and work with the wiring.