Hello! I have been browsing and searching this forum/subforum for over a year now and am finally motivating myself to upgrade the lighting in my 2002 Excursion. I live in Alaska and drive long distances when I get off my 2-week work shift. I am over playing Moose Roulette while cruising down the road. Eye fatigue from my crappy stock headlights is also a real deal, its getting too much and sketchy at times.
I am going to be following the Mr. Sterns advice and run my headlights off relays with direct power from the battery/alternator. Relays will be housed in a busman relay/fuse holder. It can hold 5 relays and ten fuses. I may eventually do the same for the factory fog lights. I do drive a fair amount in poor weather and they do help some during a snow storm. Key word some. Also I am looking at options to make my vehicle more visible in general. Getting rear ended during a blizzard would be a bad day. I had one drive where I turned on the bed light of the truck I was driving. It was the only rear facing light not covered in snow.
Where my indecision come into play is with auxiliary lighting. I was all set to run 4 Hella 4000 Halogen (two pencil beam and two euro/driving). My question is, has tech evolved and there maybe better options? Budget is a consideration… $600 is kind of where I am at. If that only gets me two lights then I will add two more at a later date.
I see Hella has introduced a newer LED version of the 4000 series lights. I like it for its passive heating of the lens. Snow and slush build up on the lens is a consideration. Cost on these is roughly $300 a lamp.
http://www.myhellalights.com/index.php/products/auxiliary-lamps/led/hella-rallye-4000-led-metal/
I have also read recommendations of buying a 7" housing and running the JW Speaker or Truck Light lamps. Could you wire these to a three-way switch to use both high and low beams? I know they make heated versions so that would help with snow build up. Would these throw enough light down the road? Obviously, they are no pencil beam but 4 of these on high would have to throw a fair amount of light right?
I have a couple friends who have added "ditch lights" to aid in visibility. This is an addition to the light bars they run. The ditch areas up here are cut fairly wide in spots.
I ordered a light mounting bar for the front, sits about bumper high, and has mounting tabs for up to four 9" lights. My basic goals are to not hit a moose and not run off the road during a snowstorm. Speeds are no more than 70 in the winter (dry roads obviously). Also I should note that during the summer my family and I live in a remote "town". This requires a 60 mile jaunt (one way) down a gravel road. Due to school closures and COVID we are spending the winter out there as well. So vibration issues should be taken into account.
I am open for options. Thanks for the help in advance!
I am going to be following the Mr. Sterns advice and run my headlights off relays with direct power from the battery/alternator. Relays will be housed in a busman relay/fuse holder. It can hold 5 relays and ten fuses. I may eventually do the same for the factory fog lights. I do drive a fair amount in poor weather and they do help some during a snow storm. Key word some. Also I am looking at options to make my vehicle more visible in general. Getting rear ended during a blizzard would be a bad day. I had one drive where I turned on the bed light of the truck I was driving. It was the only rear facing light not covered in snow.
Where my indecision come into play is with auxiliary lighting. I was all set to run 4 Hella 4000 Halogen (two pencil beam and two euro/driving). My question is, has tech evolved and there maybe better options? Budget is a consideration… $600 is kind of where I am at. If that only gets me two lights then I will add two more at a later date.
I see Hella has introduced a newer LED version of the 4000 series lights. I like it for its passive heating of the lens. Snow and slush build up on the lens is a consideration. Cost on these is roughly $300 a lamp.
http://www.myhellalights.com/index.php/products/auxiliary-lamps/led/hella-rallye-4000-led-metal/
I have also read recommendations of buying a 7" housing and running the JW Speaker or Truck Light lamps. Could you wire these to a three-way switch to use both high and low beams? I know they make heated versions so that would help with snow build up. Would these throw enough light down the road? Obviously, they are no pencil beam but 4 of these on high would have to throw a fair amount of light right?
I have a couple friends who have added "ditch lights" to aid in visibility. This is an addition to the light bars they run. The ditch areas up here are cut fairly wide in spots.
I ordered a light mounting bar for the front, sits about bumper high, and has mounting tabs for up to four 9" lights. My basic goals are to not hit a moose and not run off the road during a snowstorm. Speeds are no more than 70 in the winter (dry roads obviously). Also I should note that during the summer my family and I live in a remote "town". This requires a 60 mile jaunt (one way) down a gravel road. Due to school closures and COVID we are spending the winter out there as well. So vibration issues should be taken into account.
I am open for options. Thanks for the help in advance!