According to our industry expert: The Art of Off-Road Driving”, off-road driving at night can benefit greatly from auxiliary lights. It is particularly when you need to illuminate areas beyond the reach of your headlights. For example, the sides of the vehicle.

Off-roading requires adequate forward lighting. This is because stock headlights on most 4×4 vehicles may not be powerful enough. But, relying solely on auxiliary lights can drain your battery quickly.

Mainly if you’re not mindful of power consumption. It’s essential to manage your battery usage carefully to avoid being stranded in the dark.

Offered three important tips for off-roading at night:

• The installation of auxiliary lights. It is to provide illumination to areas beyond the range of headlights is necessary.
• Retrofitting or adding auxiliary lights to enhance forward lighting is essential.
• The high power consumption of auxiliary lights highlights the importance of battery management. It is to consider a second battery setup.

Auxiliary lights focus on forward lighting. But off-road enthusiasts often opt for dual battery setups. Yet, there is a lack of auxiliary lights dedicated to side illumination.

It is crucial for improved visibility while driving. Vehicles equipped with such lights ease navigation. Mainly during turns, and are irreplaceable in their function.

Off-road vehicles need different types of auxiliary lights to cover the areas beyond the range of headlights. One option is to mount a pair of 16W series pod lights. It should be on a flood beam that is wide.

It should be on both sides of the front of the vehicle. The scattering area is large but the radiation distance has a limit. So it illuminates the front left and right areas.

Another option is to combine two 16W pod auxiliary lights on the left and right sides with the stock headlights. This can illuminate a large area. It can provide a driving direction coverage of nearly 180 degrees.

These types of auxiliary lights are practical for off-road driving at night. It enables drivers to clearly see the conditions on the trail’s sides. It makes it safer and more convenient to select the right route for off-road.

Auxiliary lights are frequently seen as forward lighting, such as:

• Driving lights
• Spotlights
• Fog lights
• Flood worklights

They are mounted on the roof rack or front. And some are installed on the hood. Proper wiring is crucial for their effective use.

It is important to adhere to specific guidelines when mounting auxiliary lights on a vehicle. It is because different lights serve different functions and need appropriate placement.

For instance, driving lights, flood lights, and fog lights should be mounted on the car’s front. The spotlights are for either the roof rack or the front on individual requirements.

Improper placement of fog lights, driving lights, or flood lights on the roof of the vehicle can result in glare. It is reflected off the hood or windshield. This can significantly impede the driver’s visibility.

Certain fog lights may have a minimal upward projection of light. This does not cause any illumination on the hood. But it is still not recommended to mount them on the vehicle’s roof. In extreme weather conditions such as: 

• Heavy rain
• Snow 
• Heavy fog

The wavelengths emitted by fog lights are capable of penetrating dense fog. This is despite their limited illumination range.

In such circumstances, drivers would prefer to have the longest possible illumination distance. Even if it’s only by a meter, it could make a significant difference in critical moments.

If fog lights are mounted vehicle’s roof, they can still affect the driver’s visibility during rainfall or snowfall. This is albeit to a lesser extent than other types of auxiliary lights. When installing spotlights on the vehicle’s roof, position them: 

• Behind A-pillar’s extension line 
• Windshield 

This is important because any debris that sticks to the windshield glass would become highly visible. It might significantly obstruct the driver’s view. Mainly, if the lights are in front of the extension line.

What to consider when installing auxiliary lights? 

When mounting auxiliary lights on the vehicle’s front, it’s important to avoid mounting them at the very front end. Instead, they should be installed back of the front bar.

This ensures that in the event of a rear-end collision, the auxiliary lights will not be the first to sustain damage. It’s crucial to allow the front bar to safeguard the auxiliary lights. 

It’s important to avoid mounting auxiliary lights at a lower position than the rear bar and front. This is because it can decrease the vehicle’s approach and departure angles.

This, in turn, increases the collision risk of the vehicle when it faces an issue. It makes the auxiliary lights more susceptible to damage. 

Additionally, installing auxiliary lights on a roof rack can raise the vehicle’s height. This can be problematic:

• When entering a basement. 
• Or when passing through areas with low-hanging trees. 

It’s crucial to take precautions to protect the roof’s auxiliary lights.

If you have installed a large number of auxiliary lights on your vehicle, it may be necessary to set up a double battery system. Once that is done, connect all to the second battery.

This ensures that even if the auxiliary lights consume a significant amount of electrical power, the storage capacity of the stock battery will not be affected. Thus, it reduces the risk of ignition failure.