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The law demands that a motor vehicle must have at least two functional rear view mirrors. There must be one on the offside and one internally, though most cars are equipped with a nearside mirror as well.
Note: It may not be possible to use the car’s internal mirror to see through the caravan windows to the rear of the combination, in which case two external mirrors are required
Since many caravans are wider than their towing car, the side mirrors on the car are unlikely to to provide a clear view down both sides of the caravan, so extension towing mirrors are needed. You must be able to see clearly down both sides of your caravan, and 4m either side at a distancee of 20m behind the caravan. See image
There will be some combinations of car and caravan which can satisfy this requirement without extension towing mirrors. However, these are likely to be the exception rather than the rule and most combiations will need extension towing mirrors. Unless you are absolutely certain that your vision meets the legal criteria, extension towing mirrors should always be used for legality and safety when your caravan is coupled up. Remember to remove them when not towing.
Ensure that the extension towing mirrors project no more than 250mm* beyond the widest part of the caravan. It is desirable that the offside extension towing mirror contains a plane mirror so that you can judge speed and distance correctly. Also ensure that they have safety glass and/or are e-marked, if required.
* the limit for older cars is 200mm.