Searching around in my BLB picture files for something totally unconnected.(.isn't it always the way?) I stumble across this shot of the Renault Magnum Safety Concept truck from the mid-90s which shows that you CAN put 'Praying Mantis' style coach mirrors on an artic...though whateverr became of it/them is anyone's guess. All of which leads me neatly to point out that Biglorryblog and 'The Boy Swallow' will shortly be conducting a mirror 'blindspot' test at Chbham with the help of Dawsonrentals to see how much of the driver's view the new EU mirror packs create, not least when looking right at roundabouts at T-Junctions. It will be featured in Commercial Motor, so in the words of the great Shaw Taylor "Keep 'em peeled!" And for a pie what was his alleged nickname amongst the criminal fraternity? Clue: Lofty knows....but does 'The Boss'?.
Hi Brian, just thought I would add my two pence again to this discussion. Yes you CAN put them on the truck. The question however is not whether you CAN or not...but whether the benefits outweigh the downsides.... given that a truck has a completely different geometry to a coach.
The "Maggie" for example has a high windshield (relative to the drivers eye point), allowing the mirror position to be higher, and therefor out of the line of sight easier than most of todays Cabs (which is of course one of the points of this mirror style).
To do the same on many of todays trucks would offer little plus side (MAN have little in the way of this problem of course), as you would still have a blind spot...just in a different place.
Added to this problem though, as previously said, is that buses are straight sided...trucks are not. The trailer is generally wider than the cabin, meaning the mirrors have to protrude far far more to meet the legal vision fields.
Just to clarify though... I agree with you that the idea is good, and if it can be done, and made to work properly, then it is a good idea. Blindspots are a huge problem (personal experience has taught me well). Just tacking them onto the trucks in their current form however does not work as well as you may imagine.