Have any of you driven the new electronic Kenworth mirrors yet?

I’m not fond of those smaller outside mirrors. What if the camera messes up? Now you got tiny mirrors and no convex mirrors. Accident waiting to happen.

 

I had an idea in mind one time to use a camera mounted on the back of the cab on a motorized extendable pole. This would allow you to get a bird's eye view of the top of the trailer in relation to other trucks in a dock. Theoretically, you could set up for a blindside back, close the sleeper curtains and then back it in like a magician, lol.

Another idea was to have two cameras mounted on the upper rear corners of the trailer, facing down at the lower rear corners of the ICC bumper. You'd always know how much space you had between your trailer and others.

 

The night vision capability is interesting. Not just for night driving, but I wonder how it performs going into a covered dock like this one in Chicago.



On the other hand, those screens inside the cab would take some getting used to. The driver side would be inches from your face. Probably not a problem with young eagle eyes, but I could see the bobblehead effect for progressive lens wearers possibly being an issue.

My late model Ram pickup (and probably all the rest of them) already has this "view" when backing. I get a split screen, the big view on the right is the tailgate camera, the smaller slice on the left shows an overhead view that is a composite of all the exterior cameras. It's surprisingly accurate, and even better in low light or with worn or dirty lane markings. It does take an accessory trailer-attached camera, that I'm too cheap to buy, to get a view including an attached trailer.

 

Mines the same way.....just open the door the desired amount. Or.....just get out and look. Which works every time.....and doesn't cost anything. However, that takes effort and you can't back into a hole at 20mph. I'm starting to really hate what this industry has become.

 

Mines mounted on the Cab not the door. The bracket is turned out, to allow the power mirrors to move fully.

 

The front and rear cameras on my Vette also have a top-down view which comes in handy not to smash up the front on parking curbs. That car is so low it'd probably rip the oil pan out if I tried to straddle a toothpick laying in the road.

 

Ahh, didn't see that on my tiny screen. Mine is a 99 379.

No electronics needed. However, I guess if one doesn't have skills, they make up for it in electronics. which is the reason we have the drivers we have now......shy of worthless.

 

There’s better technology out there as mentioned
I have a F150 with birds eye view via all the cameras. I also have my trailers programmed and the system will acknowledge whatever trailer I hook to and allows that extra length to the truck so when you go to change lanes it will alert from the rear of the trailer

 

For sure. If I push over a sign or put the bumper into the shrubs, it's definitely a lower risk situation LOL

 

You have the new body style? Good grief! They are the sweetest Vettes I've ever seen. GM really outdid themselves this time.