How to Make Sure That You Can See Properly for Your Off-Road Driving Adventures
If you fancy yourself as an adventurer and have a high-performance ute or truck to prove the case, you need to make sure that it is kitted out properly. In particular, you need to ensure that you can see where you are going when you are off the beaten track. There are many choices around when it comes to driving lights and you need to determine how you are going to mount them and what type of bulb you choose. What do you need to consider?
Mounting Options
These days, most serious off-road vehicles are fitted with front facing bars and these are perfect for fitting whatever light configuration you need. You can place a full width bar on the roof of the vehicle, or right across the front grille and this will provide you with plenty of space for as many lights as you wish. Alternatively, you can just choose a mid-length light bar to mount in front of the grill, or even forego the bars themselves and fit light pods directly to the fender or bumper.
Halogen
Old school lighting choices involve halogen bulbs which are very easy to find and affordable to replace. If you really want to see where you're going, however, they're not as efficient as the latest LED or HID systems and they can use quite a lot of power during operation.
LED
You may have seen the latest LED lighting arrays which can feature a large number of smaller bulbs in one complete unit. These are very energy efficient and will put out a lot more light than their older counterparts and being quite hardy, they're not so vulnerable to vibration or impact. Expect to pay more for these when you buy them, but get better value for money as they can last for thousands of hours.
High-Intensity
Finally, you might consider high-intensity discharge lights which are state-of-the-art and are chosen by the more serious enthusiasts. They have considerably more range than even the best LEDs and will perform well in all weather conditions. As you may expect, these will be the costliest of all options.
Up and down
Many enthusiasts choose to fit two different installations, one on the roof and one at bumper level. This will allow them to put fog lights low down at the front so that they can cut through the mist and provide good visibility, while fitting the high-performance driving lights just above eye level.
Making Your Choice
Have a word with your supplier, to see what is best for your rig and chosen lifestyle ahead.
Share