When living and driving in your RV, you will run into inclement weather. And, when running into fog, having the right fog lights is critical to good visibility and navigating the hazard successfully. However, one of the most important decisions you can make is having the right colored fog lights.
Although fog lights come in many colors, experts suggest that yellow fog lights have many advantages. So, let’s look and discover why they may be the right choice for your RV.
Table of contents
- What’s So Special About Yellow Fog Lights?
- What Is the Difference Between Yellow and Amber Fog Lights?
- Can Fog Lights Be Any Color?
- Are Yellow Fog Lights Really Better Than White Fog Lights?
- Are There Any Disadvantages to Using Yellow Fog Lights?
- How to Swap Your Fog Lights to Yellow
- Are Yellow Fog Lights Worth It?
What’s So Special About Yellow Fog Lights?
Fog lights usually come attached to off-road vehicles and illuminate the road during hazardous conditions, such as fog or snow. Yellow light has a lower Kelvin temperature and a longer wavelength than typical white light. Longer wavelengths can increase visibility because the light refracts more and thus travels further, but it doesn’t necessarily increase brightness. Additionally, yellow fog lights have less backscatter, or reflection off water particles, and can cause less glare for both you and oncoming traffic.
What Is the Difference Between Yellow and Amber Fog Lights?
The main difference between yellow and amber fog lights is the color. Amber beams combine red and yellow. Yellow beams are typically a purer yellow or may have a combination of yellow and green. Fog lights commonly use the yellow-green shade, which some call chartreuse.
Can Fog Lights Be Any Color?
Most states have laws designating which colors you may use for fog lights. In general, white, amber, or yellow fog lights are legal across the United States. Although fog lights manufacturers use other colors, such as purple, red, or blue, these lights are harsher on the human eye and can be hazardous.
For this reason, these dangerous fog light colors are illegal in many states. Check your state laws to find what is legal in your area. However, be aware that even if they are legal in your state, they may be illegal in other states, which may be a problem if traveling from state to state.
Are Yellow Fog Lights Really Better Than White Fog Lights?
Research and experience have found that yellow fog lights illuminate better in foggy conditions than white lights. Experts say that yellow penetrates further than white lights because of the longer wavelength, leading to better visibility. In addition the light scatters less so it does not illuminate the fog and rain up higher in your field of view.
Therefore, compared to white, yellow fog lights don’t glare as much and make it easier to see with your lights on. Decreased glare causes less eye fatigue which is especially important when driving with dangerous road conditions.
Are There Any Disadvantages to Using Yellow Fog Lights?
Although you’ll find many benefits to yellow light, white lights are brighter than yellow ones. However, brightness may not factor in as an advantage in every situation. Therefore, the many benefits of yellow lights vastly outnumber this one disadvantage.
Pro Tip: Looking to upgrade other parts of your RV? Why not try one of these 9 Fabulous RV Renovation Ideas.
How to Swap Your Fog Lights to Yellow
If you find that your RV has white fog lights, you can swap them out for yellow. For example, you can update fog lights by either changing the bulb or installing new lights using a fog light kit. Let’s check out each of these options in further detail.
Option 1: Swap Your Fog Light Bulb
The first option is to swap out your white light with a yellow bulb. You can find bulbs that fit your vehicle at an automotive parts shop, online at the many automotive parts websites, or even on e-commerce websites such as Amazon. The AUXITO H11 H8 H16 LED Fog Light Bulbs are a great option. You can easily install these light bulbs yourself, or you can take your automobile or RV to a certified mechanic for assistance.
Option 2: Custom Installation
If you don’t already have fog lights, you can purchase some online, such as these found on Real Truck, and install them yourself or take your rig to a certified mechanic. Make sure to read reviews and ask questions to ensure you get a good product that will work with your RV. With that in mind, there are a few different options for installing fog lights on your rig.
First, you can install them on the bumper or attach them to your bull bar. Bullbars work great for mounting fog lights. A bull bar is a metal bar frequently installed on trucks, SUVs, or recreational vehicles to protect the engine if you hit a large animal, such as a deer. Finally, you can create a custom hole in your bumper for the fog lights.
Just remember, the height of your installations is as important as the location. For full functionality, fog lights must illuminate the road and work best if they don’t shine right into the fog. Therefore, the correct mounting height for fog lights should stay between 12 to 24 inches above the ground.
We have had great luck with these lights that have both white and yellow options in one housing with a good cutoff so as not to blind oncoming drivers.
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Did You Know: Custom fog lights aren’t the only thing you can customize with your RV. Read more to find out about Custom RVs: How Much Are They and Who Builds Them?
Are Yellow Fog Lights Worth It?
Fog, at any time, is dangerous because it drastically reduces visibility. Yellow fog lights increase visibility and reduce eye strain, which is why effective fog lights are so crucial.
Although making the switch from white to yellow fog lights can be a small investment, safety should be your primary concern when driving. And, if yellow lights can improve visibility and reduce driving hazards, there isn’t any question.
Do you have yellow fog lights? Drop a comment below!
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Greggr
Friday 4th of November 2022
Has anyone noticed the tendency to leave white fog lights on continuously? What I have noticed is fog lights have very little forward "reach" and above about 30 mph are not that useful. Leaving them on at 55 mph serves to blind oncoming drivers and little else. I'd welcome using yellow if it ends some of the glare and discourages unwanted use.
Donald Matsunaga
Sunday 12th of September 2021
Must read for the science behind bulb color/temperature/wavelength. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html