Rock lights and whip lights: what they're for and how to choose

Driving lights tell you what's a hundred metres ahead. They're no help with the rock next to your front tyre or the edge of the rut you're about to drop a wheel into. That's what rock lights are for. Whip lights do a different job again: they make sure other people can see you.

Both get written off as show gear, and both can be. Used properly, they're useful.

Rock lights

What they do

A rock light is a small, tough flood light that mounts flat to a surface. Put them in the wheel arches and along the chassis, and at night you can see your tyres, the ground they're on and what's about to touch the underbody. A spotter outside the vehicle can see it too.

They earn their keep away from the track as well. Changing a tyre in the dark, checking for a leak, setting up camp and loading the tray are all easier with light at ground level.

White or colour?

White is the working choice. It shows detail and depth properly, which is what you need for wheel placement. Amber cuts through dust and attracts fewer insects around camp.

RGBW lights give you colours for camp and shows and switch to a proper white when you need to see. If you want both, pick a kit with dedicated white LEDs. A white made by mixing red, green and blue is dimmer and tinted.

How many?

• Four covers the wheel arches, one per corner. This is the minimum for wheel placement.
• Six adds one each side under the sills, which lights the ground along the vehicle.
• Eight or more fills in under the front and rear, the engine bay or the tray.

Where to mount them

Mount each wheel arch light high in the arch, pointing down and slightly outward, so it lights the tyre's contact patch and the ground beside it. Keep them clear of the tyre at full lock and full compression. Under the body, tuck them above the chassis rail or the slider where a rock can't reach them. Angled mounts help when there's no flat surface facing the right way.

What we stock

Our rock lights are from Altiq.

• The single Altiq Rock Light in white or amber is a 120 degree flood that runs on 12V or 24V. It's rated IP69K, so it can be pressure washed, and it's built to be mounted on rock sliders and under the vehicle.
• The Rock Light Pro is a larger unit that doubles as a work light, with its own mounts, extensions and a 10-output harness.
• The CX6 RGBW kits come in packs of 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12. Each light has three dedicated white LEDs and three RGBW LEDs, so white mode is a full-strength white.
• The Spectrum Pro RGB-W kit is the larger colour option.

Whip lights

What they do

A whip light is a flexible, lit pole with a flag on top, mounted high on the vehicle. In dune country, the vehicle coming up the other side of a crest can't see you until you're both at the top. A flag and a light above roof height gives them warning.

Some dune areas require a sand flag at a set height. A whip can do that job if it's tall enough and mounted where the rules say, so check the requirement for where you're going before you rely on it.

Around camp, a whip makes your site easy to find at night.

Choosing a length

Our LED whip lights are from Bushdoof and come in 2ft, 3ft, 4ft, 5ft and 6ft lengths. What matters is how high the tip ends up, so think about where it will mount. On a bullbar, a longer whip is needed to clear the roof. On a roof rack or tub rack, a shorter one will do.

Each whip comes with a sand flag and a remote and has a quick-release base, so you can fit it when you reach the dirt and take it off for the drive home. They mount through a 10mm hole. You'll also want the wiring harness, and a spring base is worth adding if the whip will be brushing through scrub.

Wiring

Rock lights and whips draw little power, but there are a lot of connections. A few things keep them reliable:

• Run them from a fused, switched feed. Don't tap into a factory light circuit.
• Use the harness made for the kit. Multi-light kits have a hub that keeps cable runs tidy.
• Seal every join and tie cables away from heat, moving suspension parts and the tailshaft.
• Fit a switch you can reach from the driver's seat.

Using them on the road

Treat both as off-road and campsite lighting. Australian road rules restrict what colours a vehicle can show and where, and red and blue in particular are reserved for emergency vehicles. Coloured, flashing or underbody lights switched on while driving on a public road can get you fined, and the details differ by state.

Switch them off before you reach the bitumen, and take the whips down for highway driving.

Common questions

Are rock lights legal?

Having them fitted is fine. Using them on a public road is where the rules apply, and those differ by state. Keep them for off-road use and when parked.

Can rock lights get wet?

Yes. The Altiq lights are rated IP69K, a dust and water rating that covers high-pressure washdown, so mud, creek crossings and a pressure washer are fine. The connections are the weak point on any kit, so seal them well.

Will they flatten my battery?

LEDs draw little, but a full set left on overnight at camp will add up. Run them from an auxiliary battery if you have one, or keep an eye on voltage.

What length whip do I need?

Enough for the flag to sit clearly above your roof from wherever you mount it. If you're fitting one to meet a sand flag rule, check the required height first.