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MN_Ben's avatar
MN_Ben
Explorer
Jan 15, 2014

Choosing headlights for the truck camper truck

I have two different lights in my TC truck. One seems brighter but may actually be a different color or may just be old.
I would like to find the best lights for me but how does one go about doing that. Blue lights? White lights? Sylvania? CIPA? TView?
I don't know how to choose. Hoping one of you could provide some answers.

38 Replies

  • You can get brighter lamp for your headlights, but there is a Federal legal maximum wattage. I think it is 55 or 65 watts.

    Although the plastic discolors and makes for poor lighting. Polishing is a short term fix, and from what I have seen needs to be done a couple of times a year. Another cause is undersize wiring to the headlights. There are kits to use the existing wiring solely to turn relays on or off, and the relays provide power to the lights from the battery with bigger wires. I have wired the headlights in my Samurai with relays, although not a kit.
  • Blue ones might get you a ticket in some places. I think they're illegal, at least in some locations.

    There's nothing wrong with the stock style lights. More/brighter light is also more/brighter to the oncoming traffic.

    If you have problems seeing at night with stock headlights, you either need to check how they're aimed, or have your eyes checked.
  • Wow, I thought it was only me who thought regular lights are all that is needed and everyone else is inconsiderate. ;)
  • If you are having a lot of trouble seeing at night, HID, not cheap but all the light you need.
  • Don't know if your lenses are faded or not but you can buy aftermarket replacements from Amazon. I've used polishing kits on mine only to have them fade after several months again. The headlights for my Chevy were only ~ $40(bulbs included!) and the parking light were ~$12 with free shipping. Made the front of my truck ook new again.
  • Stay away from blue lights. They are very bad for your night vision, and for the night vision of others who share the road with you. The rod cells in your retinas are adapted to detect details and motion at low light levels, but are easily overwhelmed and rendered useless in bright light or blue light. They take up to 30 minutes to recover after exposure to light sources with a high color temperature. This is why you are "night-blind" after you turn off the bathroom light and try to stumble back to bed in the dark.

    The cone cells in your retina are poor light receptors, but have adapted to detect colors. This is why things at night appear "grayer" than they do by day. Your eyes are sensing low light with rod cells, but the cone cells do not have enough light to operate.

    Blue headlights, most LED lamps and the SilverStar Ultra (4100K) all overwhelm your eyes' rod cells and stimulate the cone cells. This gives you the illusion that you're seeing things more clearly, but in actual fact, you're blind to anything that isn't in the direct path of your headlights.

    You're also blinding everyone else on the road with you, which is inconsiderate and unsafe. You're best off using standard headlamps in the 3200K color temperature range. All headlamps dim with age. After four years of use, they should be replaced whether they still illuminate or not.

    I'm probably going to need to get some popcorn now...
  • My personal experience has been with Sylvinia SilverStarĀ® ULTRA. I have been very satisfied with these and have them in all my vehicles. I have heard that the life on these lights may be less then stock but I have not experienced any short life concerns. There is a noticeable improvements in nighttime vision.
    Lots of opinions out there.