Resourceful Traveler: What Lights Do You Really Need For Your Overland Build?

When budget isn’t a factor, poor visibility doesn’t even have a chance to be an issue. You know this because every high-dollar show-built overland truck is outfitted with more LED diodes than there are bolts holding it all together. Unfortunately, loading up your overlanding rig with every light possible isn’t an option for everyone. It will take time to accrue the aftermarket lights you’ll want to add to your vehicle, especially with big tires, a suspension lift, storage solutions, and all the other high-dollar upgrades eating into your overlanding budget.

A resourceful traveler knows that focusing on some key areas when starting out is all you need to make massive improvements in nighttime trail visibility. By addressing them first, you set an excellent baseline that’ll keep you safe at night, and allow you to customize a lighting solution that’s as effective as it is fun.

LED Headlight Conversion

One of the easiest, most cost-effective places to begin upgrading your truck’s illumination situation is the factory lighting. Your headlights, in particular, can be easily swapped for more powerful versions better suited for off-road use.

Older vehicles that are equipped with halogen lights stand the most to gain when switching to aftermarket options. That’s because many aftermarket headlights use LEDs in place of the halogen bulbs. These housing and LED combos are capable of throwing much more light, making for a huge improvement in visibility.

You should be careful, though. You need to research what’s legal for your truck in your area. If LED or HID conversions are prohibited, you’ll need to move on. Don’t worry about it too much if conversions aren’t an option for you, as auxiliary lighting can easily supplement or replace headlights on the trail.

Upgraded Fog Lights

Upgrading to LED fog lights is another way to improve upon your vehicle’s factory lighting. Doing this is especially effective in low visibility conditions as the low position of the fog lights specifically helps you to see through dust and debris that might shroud the path ahead.

Many vehicles can actually be equipped with cube lights that mount in place of the factory fog lights, which will produce the best results. A good little pro tip to keep in mind is that amber bulbs or lenses here can doubly improve visibility by reducing glare, which is a massive concern in dust and fog.

Upgrading to a heavy-duty aftermarket bumper will likely handle this issue for you by default. On top of added protection and mounting solutions for winches and auxiliary lighting, off-road bumpers are usually built to mount cube lights in factory fog locations and may even come with them pre-installed.

Additional Forward-Facing Lighting

Upgrading the factory lighting is going to help a lot, but you will want to add at least one form of auxiliary forward-facing light to set your baseline. Since headlights illuminate further down the trail, and fogs handle the immediate area, it’s in your best interest to add something that will work as a flood light because it will illuminate a broad area that breaches the gap between the two.

Luckily, many aftermarket light bars offer a combo beam, giving you the option to select between flood and spot beams for enhanced utility.

If you upgrade your bumper, you can make use of lighting positions to add a small light bar or pods. Mounting lights here first is also a great option because it won’t present the glare issues that roof-mounted lights will.

That said, roof-mounted light bars are a cost-effective option if you don’t have the ability to mount lights to a bumper. A bigger bar has better performance potential — just be careful of your placement to minimize glare from light bouncing off the hood.

Don’t Forget Yer Rear

You know all too well that your nighttime adventures won’t involve exclusively driving forward. You’re going to find yourself in plenty of tight spots that you’ll need to back out of. That’s why you’ll want to address rear-facing lights as well.

As with the front, the upgrades you’ve made will determine what your mounting options are. At the very least, you can add some LED reverse lights to the factory configurations. Also much like the front, upgrading to an aftermarket rear bumper might also provide the option of using LED cube lights to get the job done. You can add some additional lights higher up on the vehicle and some amber lights for added safety but neither is necessary to get started.

Build With Utility in Mind

As you shop around, resist the urge to buy lights just because they look cool. That’s a good way to wind up wasting your money on expensive lights you’ll never use — and becoming that “would-be overlander” that the die-hards are always ranting about. Instead, think through what each option brings to the table and how its intended use actually fits into your situation.

Additionally, keep in mind that the right lights not only make it easier for you to see the trail, but also for other travelers to see you. They can also be used to light up the campsite. So, take your time, do the research, and have some fun with it.

Light the Way With TrailFX

Regardless of which way you decide to take your lighting upgrade adventure, TrailFX has you covered. Offering everything from cube lights, work lights, and driving lights all the way up to sweeping light bars, the company has exactly what you’ll need to light even the darkest nights.

TrailFX is also the proud provider of other quality off-road upgrades your overlanding rig could benefit from. (That includes front and rear heavy-duty bumpers on which to mount many of the lighting accessories discussed here.) Of course, the brand’s selection of lift kits, winches, step bars, and more are all worth considering as well. The best part? TrailFX boasts high-performance, long-lasting equipment with competitive warranties – all at a price the big guys just can’t touch.

Equip your roof, hood, and bumper with lighting all at a price less than what the expensive brands charge for a single bar, and all while having the peace of mind that your setup will be ready to go when and where you are, hour after hour, mile after mile.

To learn more about TrailFX LED lighting solutions, visit www.trailfx.com.