The ability to get to your destination safely while traveling off road at night mainly depends on one thing: Whether you can see where you’re going or not. People usually joke about those who have triple stacked light bars facing in every direction possible, but there are many situations where being able to see where going is even better than having the traction to get there. Not being able to see the trailer obstacles ahead of you at night could potentially lead into some pretty dangerous and unforgiving situations. So then the next question is, where do you start with off-road lighting?
There are many different available lighting sources on the market today that vary in sizes, shapes, mounting positions, power output, lumens, the type of bulbs used, and even the lenses themselves can make a drastic difference in the light output quality and the distance it shines. And while many add aftermarket lighting to explore while off-roading at night or to improve visibility in bad weather. It can also illuminate in outdoor party or your campsite. Plus the off-road lights can help with the aesthetics of your four-wheel drive as well, really giving it that look of meaning business while out on the trails. Picking out the right set of lights for your rig really depends on, number one, your budget, number two, functionality, and number three, their looks.
DIfferent bulb types of Offroad Lighting
First, let’s explore the different types of bulbs. Halogen off-road light are ideal for those that don’t go off-roading often or are on a budget. While replacements are affordable and often pretty easy to find. Halogen bulbs aren’t going to throw off as much light as an LED or HID. So they’re not gonna be the best light for the optimized visibility. They’re also the least efficient with energy and do not have as crisp of a light beam. That being said, they should not be used for flood lights, where the goal is to have a very focused lighting.
LED lights are typically the most popular. They use a 10th of the amount of energy halogen bulbs use, are compact, more durable and longer lasting than any other bulb. In addition, off-road LED lights are stylish and they can be made in different colors and shapes. It’s important to follow the specific amperage and resistor guidelines when installing your own LED lights though, as systems often burn out prematurely due to improper installation. These lights are great for the light bars and well, the frequent off-roader. HID or high intensity discharge lights have the best illuminating capabilities. In fact, they generally shine about twice as far as LED lights. So if brightness is your main concern, these are great option to have. Albeit generally the cost are much higher. HID lights are especially useful for those who travel at high speeds at night.
So then knowing different lighting types, next is to figure out what type of light pattern is gonna work best for you. And there are four different types of off-road lighting： spot, driving, fog, and flood.
Different Lighting Types of Offroad Lighting
Spot Lights
Spotlights produce a more focused beam of light that can travel a far distance ahead of the vehicle. These types of lights are extremely bright, but illuminate a smaller area, as the light beam is not as spread out as other types of lighting. These lights are typically used for commercial, agricultural and racing applications, and shouldn’t be used on the highway.
Driving Lights
Driving lights are designed to supplement your high beams by illuminating an area further and wider than your headlights are capable of. These lights are great for off-road trail riding, as well as night driving on the roads for greater visibility.
Fog Lights
Fog lights are mounted below the headlights to project a beam that lights up the pathway ahead without catching the fog, rain, dust, or other particles in the air that make it difficult to see in adverse weather and even better to help see in those crappy types of visibility conditions is to use amber colored fog lights or lens covers to cut back at the glare of the light particles, bouncing off the snow or fog. These are to be used with your primary headlights for optimal illumination.
Flood Lights
Flood lights illuminate a large wide area within a short distance. They are typically used as work lights or in backup lights to see the broader area nearby. Then the ideal mounting position of your new off-road lights will depend on what type of light you are adding to your Jeeper truck. Light bars are generally mounted on your roof, bumper, or grill because they are designed to shine light far out in front of your vehicle while also flooding light outward on the edges.
Mounting Your Off-Road Lights
The ideal mounting position for your off-road lights depends on the type you choose. Flood and fog lights, are almost always installed low on the front bumper to help you see the area immediately in front of you. Spotlights are often mounted on top of your vehicle as they shine a lot further ahead. However, they are not very useful when driving at high speeds and then driving lights are generally mounted on your grill to supplement your headlights.
In Conclusion
By selecting the right type of lighting and mounting it appropriately, you can significantly improve your off-road experience and ensure safety and visibility in all conditions.
So now that we have a pretty basic breakdown of what lights we should be looking for, the next step is to head on over to our website and finding yourself those perfect new lights for a much brighter way to see the trails better at night.