While your vehicle’s headlights are likely more than sufficient for global overland travel, there are undeniable benefits to adding good-quality exterior lights to your build. A well-lit camp is safer and more comfortable and will save you some headlamp batteries in the process! From rock lights to camp lights, there are a variety of options on the market – it’s just about what works for you. Read on for our tips and tricks when it comes to choosing exterior lighting for your truck camper or overland vehicle.
We like to categorize lights by function, including driving lights, utility lights and camp lights. Let’s look into each category.
DRIVING LIGHTS
Auxiliary driving lights provide increased coverage that factory headlights just can’t compete with. They come in especially handy during dusk and dark. You are most likely to find driving lights in bar, pod and round form, and beams vary from diffused to flood to fog.
A WORD ABOUT PLACEMENT
There is a tendency in the off-road community to install light bars high up on vehicles. It looks cool and makes you feel like a global traveler. Top-mounted lights are best used when you’re bombing down a dirt road and want to be able to see far down the track.
In our experience, unless there is a lot of matting on the hood or the light bar is tipped back far enough, high-mounted light bars create a lot of kickback from the hood and other dust and air particulates, and don’t provide adequate visibility in poor weather conditions such as rain, snow and fog. We highly recommend installing the first auxiliary light on a low-lying area such as the front grille.
DRIVING LIGHTS WE USE ON OUR TRUCK CAMPER
1998 GMC 2500:
Light Bar:
32 inch 5D Series Straight/Curved Combo Beam Double Row LED Light Bar for SUV ATV UTV Trucks Pickup.
Pod Lights:
(2pcs/set) 3 inch 80W 9600LM LED Pods Lights White&Yellow for CHEVROLET
We refer to AUX BEAM as the “Light The Way”, and for good reason! Lengths vary from 4” to 54”, it has phenomenally good flooding for trail work, and a tight long-distance beam for moving fast down a trail or dirt road. This product stands side by side with the more pricey lights. Pretty cool designs! In our opinion, this is one of the most capable and adaptable light bar on the market.
CAMP LIGHTS
Camp lights improve camp life significantly and are an easy addition to your overland setup. There are endless possibilities, including interior tent or camper lights, galley lights, cabinet lights, kitchen lights etc.