MogLite Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Well I've just got a roof-rack for my daily driver, and I've got a natty set of Hella lamps kicking around, but I'm wondering if roof-lights are worth the effort. I'm not going to be shooting bunnies at night Its unlikely I'll be doing deep river crossings at night. If I'm lucky I might overland to North Africa, but I've got big driving lights on the front already. I've got 6 on the roof of the Ibex, and TBH, they are just bling. Are they worth the effort ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Funny, I was thinking of adding some to the disco for bling effect. Have managed 10's of Ks of miles without them so far though so they are clearly not essential. Guess the answer depends how much you value bling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I've got 6 on the roof of the Ibex, and TBH, they are just bling. Haven't you just answered your own question, Andy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 At the recent night challenge at Huntsham Barton it was pretty damn obvious how useless they are unless mounted well back down the roof a'la Aussie stylee Would be better to have underlights for the iffy bits and nice white light bulbs to show up deep holes more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 Haven't you just answered your own question, Andy? Bling is always good, but the running of the wires to roof lights is a PITA, would take a good few hours and a mile of cable to do right. I can't see the point in spending a day wiring them up, if I ain't never gonna use 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I made a set up for my 90, 4 square spots to mount on the SD cage i've got. looked blingtastic, but after the first night trip out, i removed and chucked them in the bin, totally useless. Yes, they did light up the road in front, but i couldn;t see it because of the illuninated bonnet slapping me in the face. I much prefer some decent spots on the bumper/winch mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Last week I would have agreed with you. After driving Si's SV90 half way around the country in the dark last weekend though I was really impressed by the performance of a couple of his lights on the roll cage. Having the light coming from above you seems to give more perspective to the road ahead - whatever you do, make sure that they are not just reflecting off the bonnet and back into your eyes. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeryDisco Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I use mine quite often, mine are fixed very close to the roof, not sure if that makes a difference or not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bush65 Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Roof mounted lights are far better. It has all to do with sight lines. Lights below your sight line do not show depressions in the track surface like those above your sight line. But the lights must be mounted behind the front edge of the roof, so that the front of your vehicle, bodnnet ot bull bar is in the shadow from the roof. If not you will get glare from the light on the bonnet or bar. Anyone who knocks roof lights has no experience with decent, properly mounted roof lights. In Aus, we have night stages and roof light are a must have. An advantage of tray back (which dominate in Aus) is the light bar can be mounted behind the cab roof (for shadow on bonnet), and can be tilted down to clear tree branches during daylight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Turner Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I've got a pair of trator lights (twin bulb) mounted halfway on the roof......there work very well! they work so well i dont need the headlamps on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 With headlights below your eyes and rooflights above your eyes, no shadows in dips etc. BUT! Fit cowls so they don't light up the screen and cab, then you'll find them useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Anyone who knocks roof lights has no experience with decent, properly mounted roof lights. Sorry mate, I respect your expertise in many areas but that is absolute b*ll*x It is a generalisation that belittles your knowledge and experience I would reply that anyone who has true long distance experience of night driving with roof lights will know that they are worthless and will always resort to a decent set of grill mounted spots that will pick up the shadows of potholes and depressions. Where a roof light is good is for very slow speed work or stationary illumination of obstacles but only when mounted far back on the roof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 or paint the bonnet black Camel style, it works honestly. of course on a disco with a lightbar like mine they still light up half the dash so it reflects in the screen. i find never cleaning the car so the dash gets dirty & less reflective helps a lot there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris123 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 I had some roof-lights fitted to a Fiat Uno, which I took overland to gambia (crazy idea!). I had the same problem with the lights illuminating the bonnet, and coming in through the windscreen to illuminate the dashboad, making them completely useless. So we fabricated a visor to sit below the lights, which was also quite good as acting as a sun-visor for when the sun is lower in the sky. As for the actual advantage of having rooflights at night I'm not too sure, as they died in morocco before we went off-road much. However I do beleive that they would have helped at times further south as some of the roads were attrocious. The standard lights, did clearly show humps in the road with large shadows behind them, but it was impossible to tell if the shadow behind it was hiding a pothole, or a two-foot deep crack in the road. IMO having higher lights would mean that there is less of a shadow cast, allowing you to define whether you're heading for a pothole, or something that will right your car off. Not tried em with a land yet though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS26 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Bush65 wrote: <cut&shut> Anyone who knocks roof lights has no experience with decent, properly mounted roof lights. <cut&shut> and honitonhobbit replied: <cut&shut> I would reply that anyone who has true long distance experience of night driving with roof lights will know that they are worthless. <cut&shut> I find that either extreme view promulgated above to be against my personal experience - IMHO lights in both positions have their uses and are very worthwhile. While overlanding, I found that headlights were very good at showing up potholes which I just I wouldn't see if "the burners" were on. However, the ability to light up what was in the pothole at the flick of a switch was damned useful too. They do need to be mounted so as to not illuminate the bonnet though. In terms of wiring, we had ours merely linked to an easy-to-reach switch, completely independent of the main lights. I know that some people wire them into the main beam (usually with a switch too), but we tried both ways and found the latter to be the more useful and versatile arrangement. The switch incidentally, was one of those old ones you would see in Minis - with the long rubbery extension. Made it really easy to flick in a hurry. Further positive points for roof lights: Bling (of course - they do look good... Harder to tealeaf (especially if you are in a roof tent) They hit the cabs of less considerate truck drivers at eye-line. The only way we found to get the b'ggers to dip was to bully them into it... Two off 120 watt halogens is enough to get anyone's attention Further negative points: Wiring (as mentioned in the thread) Trees Multi-storey car parks Hope this helps in some way.. Rog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Attryde Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 I have not yet fitted any to the disco but had a set mounted on the roll hoop on an L200 pickup (so behind the cab) and I found that down country lanes and back roads they were great. I did have them wired to high beam but fitted a switch to isolate them as in some situations they were a liability, most notably when fog was down to top of hedge height but you needed high beam to see the road as the roof lights reflected off the fog. Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Interesting debate For my application, they'd have to be over the windscreen, or just a couple of inches behind it. I've got a fully length roof rack, so mounting over the B-pillars is not a option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Interesting debate For my application, they'd have to be over the windscreen, or just a couple of inches behind it. I've got a fully length roof rack, so mounting over the B-pillars is not a option. Go and put them on anyway Andy you tart you know you want to Had them on my old 90 but can't tell you how much i used them . But the fact they wern't wired in for the half the time may have somthing to do with it. But i would have them on again , did a good job of lighting up the bonnett . But the KC's on the ARB bumper did all the work anyway What is your daly driver these days . I mean they would look carp on that omega you had , but can't you mention the make of your daly driver on here in case of the huge amout of tiddle take , you were searing a while ago about getting a toyota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 What is your daly driver these days . I mean they would look carp on that omega you had , but can't you mention the make of your daly driver on here in case of the huge amout of tiddle take , you were searing a while ago about getting a toyota Toyotas cost too much money - no way was I paying £5000 for a 1990 Land Cruiser. I've started a thread in the members vehicle section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOA 93 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Why do WRC cars not use roof lights, is there anything in the regs that says they can't? The Baja desert racers use roof ligthts some mount them on the A pilars and have shrouds to stop the glare, regarding lighting hollows and dips, I'd think using both, roof and front, together would be the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark90 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Fit them if only for teh bling factor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Saying not to fit roof lights is a personal opinion, and as a general rule is rubbish. I had extra lights both on the roof and front grille on catflap - you just need to be aware of any problems and fit them accordingly. You fit any light according to your needs - close in front of the vehicle will show-up ground contours as good as lights that are fitted lower down. I had two on the roof for close up illumination, and two on the grille for further distance. Of course - bear in mind that they can get swiped off by branches . If you are worried about unwanted refelctive glare, then temporarily wire them up and decide on the location whilst it's dark. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callum Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Sorry mate, I respect your expertise in many areas but that is absolute b*ll*x It is a generalisation that belittles your knowledge and experience I would reply that anyone who has true long distance experience of night driving with roof lights will know that they are worthless and will always resort to a decent set of grill mounted spots that will pick up the shadows of potholes and depressions. Where a roof light is good is for very slow speed work or stationary illumination of obstacles but only when mounted far back on the roof they do things differently down there... headlights and low mounted spots are of limited effectiveness underwater and to give some credit for that image here's abunch of other cool images by the same person. probably been seen before, but they're ace http://carl.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic.p...4&start=480 forward and back a couple of pages for more images Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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