Essential Applications
One of the Golden Rules of Overlanding, in the top five at least, is “Do Not Drive At Night.” We have learned this lesson the hard way, and it is one of the reasons that expansive and intricate auxiliary lighting has not been a priority for us when outfitting our vehicles. That does not mean that supplemental lighting is not necessary; on the contrary, it is essential, but that lighting must be intelligently chosen and effective. Ideally, auxiliary lights should be minimal, tasteful, and fit for the range of driving conditions you encounter most frequently. Vehicle width light bars and banks of spotlights should be reserved for rally drivers, nighttime rock crawlers, and long-distance truckers.
There are two stand-out experiences, among many, that have justified our use and application of auxiliary lighting. The first was a few years ago when we miscalculated the length and difficulty of an off-road trail through the mountains in Morocco and found ourselves driving our Defender down a rocky river bed in the darkest of nights with no level areas for camping. Efficient, lucent roof rack-mounted auxiliary lights were most advantageous for choosing a line among the endless sea of large boulders. The second was during a winter trip to the Arctic Ocean. During this season, the lines between day and night blur, making potent lighting essential for safety. It helped us avoid wildlife, see the road clearly amidst the reflective snow and ice, and ensure we were visible to others without dazzling oncoming drivers.
We reached out to KC HiLites and asked for lighting recommendations as we prepared our vehicle for the journey north. If there is anyone in the industry who understands vehicle lighting, it is the team at KC. In 1970, Founder Peter Kim Brown and his wife, Carol, revolutionized the off-road lighting industry. They innovatively adapted aircraft lights into robust casings, leaving a lasting impact on off-road culture. The KC team listened as I explained my proposed route to the Arctic, considered the time of year and the vehicle we would be using, and answered our questions before making a recommendation. We paired the KC lights to a Garmin PowerSwitch, which allowed us to control the lights via the Garmin Tread Overland Edition with an 8-inch display. We subsequently tested the lights from the icebound Arctic Circle to the steaming coastline of western Mexico.
The following are the lights the team installed on our vehicle on one chilly, snowy day in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Gravity LED Pro6 Single Bumper Lights
The Gravity LED Pro6 Single is a pair of off-road lights, and each light is equipped with Gravity LED G6 optical inserts, known for their efficiency and powerful illumination. These lights are encased in the Infinity Ring system, providing a distinct appearance and ensuring durability and strength. The system is adaptable through a universal ball mount, making it suitable for various vehicles, including Jeeps, trucks, and UTVs. This lighting system is particularly notable for its driving beam pattern, which offers a balanced blend of spread and spot lighting. The lights produce a significant output while maintaining a low amperage draw.
In terms of performance, the Gravity LED Pro6 lights stand out with their 20 watts of power and driving beam pattern. They are housed in a race-proven, endurance-tested frame; we confirmed their reliability and durability in various extreme conditions. With a beam distance of 364 meters, these lights ensure substantial visibility for on- and off-road adventures. Additionally, they are DOT-compliant and feature an IP68 rating (water resistant in fresh water to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes), indicating high resistance to dust and water ingress. The package includes two LED Pro6 Single Driving Lights, two black light covers with the KC logo, mounting hardware, and a plug-and-play wiring harness with a 30-amp LED switch.
Gravity LED Pro6 Single Bumper Lights | $540
Flex Era 1-2-Light Master Kit Area Lights
The Flex Era 1-2-Light Master Kit is a versatile, compact, off-road lighting solution. This kit features two powerful LED lights, each delivering an impressive 2,430 lumens. The lights are housed in a finned aluminum casing for optimal heat dissipation and durability. The kit offers customization options, with interchangeable lenses for spot, spread, and flood beam patterns, allowing users to tailor the lighting to their specific needs. Thanks to their asymmetric bracket design, the lights are engineered to be mounted in various orientations. This flexibility makes them suitable for a wide range of applications, including use as a bumper, ditch, or even rear-facing lights. The FE1 lights also feature an amber LED backlight, adding style and visibility in off-road conditions. We adjusted the attractive rectangular lights to face slightly outward from the center, illuminating the shoulder and opposing lane when in use.
Regarding technical specifications, these lights boast a beam distance of 67.2 meters in flood mode, 127.3 meters in spread mode, and 176.1 meters in spot mode, and are also IP68 rated. They operate at 10 watts in low power mode and 46 watts at full power, with a voltage range of 9 to 36 volts. The kit includes two lights with spread lenses pre-assembled, clear spot and flood lenses, two black covers with the KC logo, and a complete plug-and-play wiring harness with an LED switch.
Flex Era 1-2-Light Master Kit Area Lights | $340
Flex Era 3 Dual Mode SAE Fog Lights
The Flex Era 3 Dual Mode SAE Fog Lights 2-Light Master Kit is a sophisticated lighting solution for both on- and off-road use. Each light in the kit produces a high output, with the on-road SAE J583 fog beam offering an intensity of 3,682 lumens and 94.4 lux (one lux is equal to one lumen per square meter), and the off-road high-output mode delivering 5,949 lumens and 199.8 lux. Housed in a unique triangular design, dual-mode functionality allows users to switch between a lower-intensity fog beam and a higher-intensity off-road beam, providing versatility in various driving conditions. The kit comes with clear and selective yellow lenses, allowing users to optimize visibility in different weather conditions like heavy rain, fog, snow, or dust. The selective yellow lenses enhance penetration in challenging conditions, while the clear lenses offer maximum brightness and performance.
KC also designed the Flex Era 3 fog lights to be street-legal; their beam distance reaches up to 124.6 meters in high mode, ensuring broad visibility. The kit includes two Flex Era 3 SAE lights, universal mounting brackets, a premium wiring harness with weatherproof connectors, and an illuminated 2-position LED light switch, making installation straightforward and adaptable to various vehicle models.
Flex Era 3 Dual Mode SAE Fog Lights | $490
Installation and Performance
We mounted four Gravity lights, a set of Flex Era 1, and a set of Flex Era 3 fog lights directly onto our ARB bumper; the installation process was quick and intuitive and required no modification of the light mounting or the bull bar, and all lights came with universal mounting hardware. The plug-n-play wiring harnesses are as well made as the lights, and we made quick work of running the harnesses to the Garmin PowerSwitch. Our first impression of the KC lights once mounted is that they are seriously stylish and look great even when not switched on. The 2006 Dodge Ram is an impressive machine, but let’s be honest, it’s an ugly duckling. The KC lights/ARB bumper combo helped improve the vehicle’s look, which was vital as we struggled to find a complementary angle for the truck. I noticed that as soon as the KC lights were added to the vehicle’s pronounced beak, we started to get favorable looks and comments as we traveled.
As we drove in snow and white-out conditions, the KC team advised us to install amber light covers to the Gravity and Flex Era 1 to produce a light output that significantly improves visibility in snow-blown and foggy conditions. The amber light also considerably reduced the glare, which aided concentration and reduced fatigue as we drove up to eight hours daily. Another significant advantage of the light covers is protecting the valuable lenses from debris, stones, and other road hazards.
As we reached the frozen North, we were concerned that the lights might suffer from very low temperatures (down to -50°F) exacerbated by wind chill, but we needn’t have concerned ourselves. As a precaution, a daily light spray of WD40 on each light ensured that snow and ice did not gather on or obscure the lenses, and the high-quality materials did not seem to suffer any adverse effects or damage from temperatures way below the normal operating range. It is also worth noting that, despite the extreme conditions (including the heat and humidity of western Mexico later in the year), none of the lights suffered from moisture ingress or condensation. The only problem we had was that a secondary installer was too heavy-handed in securing the wiring loom to one of the fog lights, which led to the wiring being pulled from the socket. We were able to fix the light with an off-the-shelf electrical socket sourced from an auto parts store in Whitehorse, Yukon; yes, the KC lights are well-designed.
We programmed the auxiliary lights to run as both daytime running lights and nighttime lights, with the Gravity lights activating with the high beam, which lit up the road far ahead. Earlier, we had replaced the dull, factory headlights of the Dodge Ram with an aftermarket set, which were less than satisfactory once the ARB bumper had been installed, as the shoulders of the bull bar obscured the high beam. The KC lights solved that problem, and there was an immediate sense of relief as our night vision drastically improved.
To say that we were satisfied with the styling, practicality, build quality, and performance of the KC lights is an understatement. Yes, these are not the most inexpensive lights on the market, but they are, undoubtedly, a value for the money and one of the wisest investments you can make to upgrade your vehicle’s look and nighttime operation. We look forward to many years of excellent service from these lights, backed by one of the most respected and recognizable names in the automotive aftermarket.
Read More: Practical Overland Knives : Buyers Guide
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