Got mine! VX '99

[Michael S.]

Wow, tough to drive -- can't see anything on the sides and at the back. But still loving it.
Wish me a good luck with it!


--
Michael, fingers crossed.
'99 VX

[Dallas4u]

You'll get use to it... I wouldn't say it's "tough to drive", though. Maybe a little hard to see out of the back.

Try the little stick-on mirrors. Put them on the rear view mirrors and you'll be able to see much better. Others have used "Van Eyes" (lens shaped rubber piece you place on the rear window) and it seems to work ok as well.

All I gotta say is get use to it! It won't deter from the satisfaction of driving the VX once you learn to live with it!

[drdavidr4u]

I think what Dallas4u means is to put those little stick on wideangle mirrors on your sideview mirrors, I did and now I have eliminated all my blind spots. there seems to be little circular or square ones

Buy them at any auto parts dept or store, then using masking or scotch tape on the back of them to temporarily test their location onto your side view mirrors and sit in the truck to determine if that where you want to stick them for final placement. then peel off the backing and paste them to your sideview mirrors !!

Works great!!!

[t2p]

The single best improvement I made (as far as rear visibility is concerned) is to remove the rear seat headrests.
.
Most of people that ride in the back seat refuse to remove their heads, so this is still an issue when someone is riding in the back. Then, I decided at one point to only drive forward. This worked for nine days - until I was forced to drive into a one way dead-end alley. The VX then sat in this spot for over three weeks - until I finally yrealized it would be necessary to drive in reverse.
.
Seriously ....... remove the rear seat headrests ........ and see if this makes a difference ....

I (also) applied the fresnel lense - VanEyes - VanGuard (VanGard ?) - whatever - to the rear window. I purchased the 8x11 size and applied a 4X11 piece (modified with a half moon cutout so it will sit directly over the sparetire hump) on the 'middle bottom' portion of the rear window. The lense will allow you to see something that is directly behind you. It does make distant objects appear *very* distant however.
.
Someday I may apply the small (convex ?) mirrors to the sideview mirrors. I have noted that some prefer to apply them to the inside of the mirror - close to the window - while other mount them on the outside part of the mirror. ???

[XCross69]

I thought the same thing when I first got mine. Now I don't see that its much, if any, different than any other car I had. I haven't put any extra stick on mirrors or anything of the kind...as said, drive it awhile and you will adapt to it.

Congrats.......

[t2p]

I tried to 'adapt'. Could not adapt. There would be no 'adaption'.
.
(frown)
.
Instead, I found myself getting annoyed - and realized I did not want to back over my kids ....... or the neighbor kids ...... or a PowerWheels Barbie Jeep .....
.
so I applied the doo-hicky ......
.
A number of people drive these things off road - into the tightest areas - and they are able to get by ...........

[AlaskaVX]

I have completely adapted! I used to drive a Bronco II that didn't have side mirrors (Always used center rear view mirror). When I first got in my VX it was crazy, but on the drive up to Alaska I realized if I go faster than everyone I don't need to look back LOL! To reverse in a very tight situation I just roll my window down and look back. You will adapt, but van eyes couldn't hurt.

[Kahuna]

In a quote from an old movie, :there's nothing back but trouble, so we don't need these" as he rips off the mirror.

[Michael S.]

Thanks for recommendations! I think I'm going to try the "lens" sticker on the back window first. And I'm going to remove the back seats head supporters.

The other thing that I'm trying to figure out is the keyless entry remote. It got 2 buttons: "lock/unlock/panic", and "option".
I suspect that one can program the thing by sending binary 32 bit codes out using the option key :D ... So I figured, I would need a manual for that.

--
Michael

[psychos2]

options button is for garage door option. you can buy a kit to connect to your garage door opener. as for the blind spots no worse than an other car i have had. the trick is to use the side mirrors.you will be suprised what you can see.and when backing up in the driveway i always check behind the vx before getting in. shawn

[johnnyapollo]

I got these on Sgt Batguano's recommendation:

http://wildtoys.com/vehicross/VX_Mods/ModsBlindSpot_600.jpg

They're made for the Ford Excursion/Expedition and look and work great! They have them at Pep Boys for about $6 a pair.

-- Best, John

[Heraclid]

You should get accustomed to it. I got used to it pretty quickly, and that may be because I also drive a loaded cargo van a lot, which makes the VX a breeze to see out of by comparison. It helps that the VX turns so tightly. I am on the tall side too, and really don't need anything more than the mirrors (without add-ons). With the side mirrors I can see behind the VX pretty well except for dead-center if it's right on my tail. A rearview camera setup would be a nice perk, but whereas I used to really want that, now it would be just that - just a perk. I also garage it all the time. The garage opening is barely wide enough and my wife parks in our short driveway too, so I have her park a little way back by the street and I've learned to back it out of the garage (can't really cut the wheel at all until you're all the way out) and narrowly miss her van. I can now get really close because I know just where the back is. I also found a spot at work that has shade all day long except for early in the morning, so I park in the shade in the morning and just back it up around a curve and between trees and such (just wide enough for a vehicle to pass through) to the other spot before I leave with the van. It's actually easier than going in forward because you need to do a three-point turn to get back out if you do pull in forward. Anyway, my point is that it becomes sort of second-nature after a while.

[WormGod]

Originally posted by Michael S.
Wow, tough to drive -- can't see anything on the sides and at the back. But still loving it.
Wish me a good luck with it!


--
Michael, fingers crossed.
'99 VX

Oh man, you got a '99? You didn't research the VX enough, or you would have heard about all the problems with the 99's. Aw man, I wish you luck.

:D Just kiddin' man! It's all good. Welcome to the VX Asylum.