TexasAggie
I'm Awesome
Howdy folks -
I installed some Boost Auto tow mirrors this weekend and figured I'd do a write up for those of y'all who are considering it. For those of you who have already done it, we can compare notes. These went on a 1999 Suburban K2500 and I went with the stage one mirrors (blinkers and running lights).
First, the mirrors appear to be well made and fit perfectly on the door. Wiring is all included and fairly straight forward. It was a fairly straightforward job, but I really dislike interior work and overall it wore me out. I went ahead and replaced the busted door handle and the front speakers while I was working, so at least I got it all done at while the door panel was off.
I felt the instructions were lacking. They didn't include any written instructions and instead only have youtube video install instructions. The videos are fun to watch in the research stage, but I like to have a set of written instructions that I can reference any step on instantly instead of messing with my phone trying to find the right 10 second clip that I need to see. Also, would have been nice on the video if they had spent just a little more time showing the clips on the panels that were removed so that they were easier to take off without breaking (miraculously I only broke a few clips on a 20 year old vehicle). If nothing else, a sheet telling me which wire was which would have been beneficial.
The running lights and blinkers on the front of the mirror are awesome and look great at night. They really make me want to put some cab lights on the truck, but I'll have to get over my fear of drilling into the roof before I take that adventure on. The blinkers on the mirror face are nice as well, but are a little bright at night (to the point of distraction). I'm guessing I'll get used to them as I drive more with them on.
As far as seeing out of the mirrors, I feel that these leave a lot to be desired. First, the controls on the electric switch are reversed... pushing the button on the left brings the mirrors in and pushing the button on the right pushes them out (on the driver's side.... it is reversed on the passenger side). Not a huge deal, but for the price of these things I'd expect them to be wired correctly (just like stock). Second, the mirrors don't adjust high enough for me to see the road behind me. I'm 6'4", so fairly tall, but I didn't have this problem on the stock mirrors or in any other vehicle that I've driven in the past 20 years. As it is, if I want to have the edge of the truck in sight when I lean slightly toward the window, the mirror is angled down so much that I can see the top of the rear tire in it, meaning that I can't see very far down the road behind me. If I push the mirror out some, it will go higher, but then I lose sight of the lane next to me (I can see two to three lanes over just fine). I reckon I could get used to this, but I prefer to have a reference point in the mirror so that I know what I'm looking at. When controlling the mirror it's obvious that it moves in a circular motion as opposed to a square (if that makes sense). I'd rather have a manually adjusting mirror that have more movement so that I could see what I want to see out of them.
Overall, the mirrors look great and I really like the lighting function. Install wasn't hard, but it was a pain and instructions were lacking. Functionality is marginal in my opinion, and for the price paid I'm disappointed. Not disappointed to the point of returning them, but hindsight being what it is, I would have taken my chances with one of the (much) cheaper options out there.
Your mileage may vary!
I installed some Boost Auto tow mirrors this weekend and figured I'd do a write up for those of y'all who are considering it. For those of you who have already done it, we can compare notes. These went on a 1999 Suburban K2500 and I went with the stage one mirrors (blinkers and running lights).
First, the mirrors appear to be well made and fit perfectly on the door. Wiring is all included and fairly straight forward. It was a fairly straightforward job, but I really dislike interior work and overall it wore me out. I went ahead and replaced the busted door handle and the front speakers while I was working, so at least I got it all done at while the door panel was off.
I felt the instructions were lacking. They didn't include any written instructions and instead only have youtube video install instructions. The videos are fun to watch in the research stage, but I like to have a set of written instructions that I can reference any step on instantly instead of messing with my phone trying to find the right 10 second clip that I need to see. Also, would have been nice on the video if they had spent just a little more time showing the clips on the panels that were removed so that they were easier to take off without breaking (miraculously I only broke a few clips on a 20 year old vehicle). If nothing else, a sheet telling me which wire was which would have been beneficial.
The running lights and blinkers on the front of the mirror are awesome and look great at night. They really make me want to put some cab lights on the truck, but I'll have to get over my fear of drilling into the roof before I take that adventure on. The blinkers on the mirror face are nice as well, but are a little bright at night (to the point of distraction). I'm guessing I'll get used to them as I drive more with them on.
As far as seeing out of the mirrors, I feel that these leave a lot to be desired. First, the controls on the electric switch are reversed... pushing the button on the left brings the mirrors in and pushing the button on the right pushes them out (on the driver's side.... it is reversed on the passenger side). Not a huge deal, but for the price of these things I'd expect them to be wired correctly (just like stock). Second, the mirrors don't adjust high enough for me to see the road behind me. I'm 6'4", so fairly tall, but I didn't have this problem on the stock mirrors or in any other vehicle that I've driven in the past 20 years. As it is, if I want to have the edge of the truck in sight when I lean slightly toward the window, the mirror is angled down so much that I can see the top of the rear tire in it, meaning that I can't see very far down the road behind me. If I push the mirror out some, it will go higher, but then I lose sight of the lane next to me (I can see two to three lanes over just fine). I reckon I could get used to this, but I prefer to have a reference point in the mirror so that I know what I'm looking at. When controlling the mirror it's obvious that it moves in a circular motion as opposed to a square (if that makes sense). I'd rather have a manually adjusting mirror that have more movement so that I could see what I want to see out of them.
Overall, the mirrors look great and I really like the lighting function. Install wasn't hard, but it was a pain and instructions were lacking. Functionality is marginal in my opinion, and for the price paid I'm disappointed. Not disappointed to the point of returning them, but hindsight being what it is, I would have taken my chances with one of the (much) cheaper options out there.
Your mileage may vary!
