60 replies to this topic

[klahanie]

Back in my Duran Duran hair days a bud had KCs on his roll bar (was only a single chrome tube bar not the coveted 3 tube style). Riding shot gun I didn't like them. It always seemed to be dusty (from the guy infront) or rainy/misty and the light being reflected right infront of the windscreen was annoying to me...

 

I've got Hella 4000s also, in the euro/driving pattern. The regular old school type. Never had LEDs. Good steady light with a rock solid mounting  design. They're mounted on the bumper and aimed slightly to the road edge (for cornering and animals). Don't do much hwy night driving. Mostly they are revenge lights (per above), look kinda posuer but use them one night with a bunch of half crazy, ugly drunk locals tailing you in the bush and I'm happy to have them. Wasn't happy with the pin striping, but, what can you do...

 

Got the Hella clear covers for them too - great option - but also carry the included opaque covers, in case I get pulled over.

 

ON EDIT wanted to mention the 4000s have a pretty deep body, back from the mounting hole. So it might have to be a long (and firm) tab if you go bumper mount.

Edited by klahanie, 29 November 2018 - 03:14 AM.

[Vic Harder]

I had Lightforce lights on a previous truck.  Loved them, and they are bomb/bullet proof.

[craig333]

I meant they're ineffective. An LED light bar would work much better. I think you're looking at more lighting close in? The LED light bars work well for that. For distance I'd stick with the Hella 4000's or the Lightforce and such.

 

I'm also assuming we're all talking offroad, not highway use. Mine are wired into the stock high beams so if in the rare case they are on on the highway they can be clicked off quickly

[klahanie]

Reread the OP, pic, and the intended use.

 

My past complaint of reflected light, with lights aimed forward and vehicle travelling at speed, might be mostly a non issue in this application. Also a high quality lights might not be warranted.

 

I think it would be very slick if lights were put under the cab over in such a way that the driver and passenger could rotate them to illuminate side roads, clearings, etc. Don't know if the human and camper geometry would work in this case - I looked at doing similar but am to short and the gap to great - but if so an LED might be better because they operate much cooler. Failing that, a number of small side lights could be mounted... I wonder if they make a light bar that can be shaped into a curve ?

 

Just a thought, maybe too redneck, IDK. Prob can buy rotatable wireless controlled units to do the same ...

[craig333]

They do make them curved. I have two side mounted lights but movable light would be handy.

[rando]

It sounds like taking the time to figure out some sort of bumper mount might be more likely to lead to a positive outcome than mounting to the camper overhang.   I will think about an easy way to make some sort of hard points to mount to - there has to be some metal somewhere under all that plastic.  

[pvstoy]

"...

That said, more light would be useful, and mounting anything to the tupperware that forms the front end of a new Tacoma will be challenging. 

 

I still laugh when I read how you compare the Tacoma front to Tupperware.

[trikebubble]

Rando, et. al.,

 

I researched driving lights and light bars before my Alaska trip.

 

California and many other States as well as British Columbia Canada have laws about headlights, driving lights and other auxiliary lights.

 

 

Sorry to meander away from the exact topic at hand, but this reminds me of my pre-North lighting set-up trip. I ordered my new bumper with a 30" led bar built in, and replaced my oem fog lights with more powerful bulbs, all in preparation of our 3 week trip to the Arctic last July. I even replaced my stock reverse bulbs with brighter and more powerful ones.

Of course, it wasn't until a few days into our trip that it dawned on me.......you don't need no stinkin' lights in the Yukon and NWT in July.

Having said that, the Heise 30" led light bar in my bumper does throw off an incredible amount of light, I have found it very worthwhile when off-road around here at night. One of the projects on my list is to connect my campers big rear flood lights to a switch on my SPOD in the truck. I have had to get out, on an occasion or two, open the camper and turn those rear floods on, to back up into a camp spot in the dark.

[DieselShack]

I think Baja designs has lights that will replace your fog lights that can give you more useable light. You can also look at ditch lights, they mount at the base of your a pillar, at the corners of your hood. You can point these in your preferred direction. I feel like when hunting for campsites at night, the ditch lights pointed to your sides would be most beneficial.

[craig333]

We need to be very careful when modding our lights. I've seen mods to fog lights that while they produce more light from the drivers perspective, also produce incredible glare for oncoming drivers. In spite of the poor headlights my dodge has I haven't done any of the mods I"ve seen because they fail to take into account you're still using the same reflector. Simply tossing in a different, albeit bright bulb, can play havoc unless the reflector isn't taken into consideration.