Little Help?

[Other TRAIL BOSS]

I’ve been slowly building my Ram 3500 into a reasonably capable off-road and camping vehicle. It still has to tow and work, so I can’t go crazy with it, but it’s getting there.

My current project is installing a Kargo Master ladder rack over my canopy. With the massive load capacity and accommodations for lighting, it will serve well as a base for my RTT, tools, kayaks, etc. The truck came with upfitter switches, so scene lighting will be a breeze.

My question is this: I already have a 30” Baja Designs OnX6+ light bar on the front bumper. It produces an insane amount of light from near- to mid-field distances. Is there any utility in mounting a set of forward-facing XL Racers (or other long distance spotlights) to the front leading edge of the rack? I love the look of lights over the cab, but I’m not about to spend $2,000 for redundant lighting. I’m hoping someone has experience comparing the XL racers to the OnX6+ bars.

Thanks!

PFA, of course.

 

[94-RUNNER]

Nice truck ! 👍

 

[carleton]

I know that some of the Baja Designs "Science of Lighting" is probably just marketing.....but I'd look at if you are covering the different areas & allow that to guide my decision.

There are conditions that favor different light locations:
The OnX mounted down low will provide good light, but it more prone to lighting up dust or snow & reflecting back at you, where an above mounted light might not (or do it less).

Additionally, high mounted lights see further down the road through bumps & dips, and provide depth perception.

I has some XL80s mounted to A-Pillar on a Transit, used as Moose lights in Alaska, and was very happy for their performance in lighting up dark roads.
But, the truckers all had their halogens mounted above their cabs, so the could illuminate miles down the road.

I guess the last thing to consider is realistically how fast you are driving. My XL80s are way to bright for any public road....unless I'm doing mountain passes well after dark and I know there won't be any other cars. However, I'm not driving 60mph down dirt roads, which is what the XL Races are made for.

 

[Other TRAIL BOSS]

I’m definitely predicating my lighting decisions on the different lighting zones that BD ascribes to their products.

My hope is that with the OnX in driving combo pattern covering the near and mid (zones 2-3), I can use those XLRs for long range (zones 4-5) driving. Certainly not viable for urban roadway use, but I’d use them a lot on some of the hunting roads and late night ski trips for added visibility.

I’m really having a hard time finding specs on just how far down the road they shine. Sitting 8’ off the ground, they’ll have all the room they need to really reach out.

 

[carleton]

Hard to relate the feel of lighting......
My XL80s are in a Driving/Combo lens pattern, but are stronger (75watts compared to 45 on the Racers). I'd guess that with your Onx & Racers you will get much better coverage (I just had the 1-pair of XL-80s), and probably similar distance to what I had.

That being said, the distance was plenty, in my opinion, since I was rarely outdriving my lights. For Hunting Roads, might be overkill if you are only driving 30mph (the Onx will cover that well).

 

[Other TRAIL BOSS]

Awesome info, thank you! I don’t mind any sorts of tangents, as that’s how we learn awesome new tricks. Your truck is incredible and I’ve been creeping your build page for ideas.

My perimeter lighting situation is fairly dialed. Prior to the canopy/rack malarkey I’m getting into I was running a Magnum headache rack with all my lights wired in. I have Squadron Sport work pattern pods for side scene lights, and Squadron Sport driving combos for the rear. These are tied to my Ram upfitter switches for individual zone control, with the rears are also tied to the reverse circuit. I also have Squadron Pro wide cornering in the front bumper for the low/wide areas under the OnX6 bar. These are tied to the OEM fog light circuit to retain the cornering feature.

I really like the 5000k color temperature from the BD lights. I’m not opposed to other brands, but the idea of mismatched color temps would ******** with my OCD.

Regarding high-mount lights:
While I’m certainly not bombing PNW logging roads at 60mph, I do go pretty hard on dark mountain highways and long-distance overnights on b roads where the long range spots might play a role. Until I can get some reliable firsthand experience, though, this is all just a mental exercise.

Do you think the relatively narrow 4* beam of long range spots will create a lot of hood glare? I was assuming with appropriately focused spots the light wouldn’t spill out as much. I can certainly fabricate shrouds for the undersides to reduce that issue.