So the end of desert season is almost here. The days are getting hotter, and duning in 100-degree weather is loosing its luster. I’ve been stuck around the house doing more and more honey-do’s because it’s just too darn hot for the sand. I guess it’s time to clean up the toys and put them away until next season…I don’t think so! You can dune year round if you really want to. Time to mix things up a bit and start doing some night runs to the desert.

There is one thing wilder than running a sand car 100mph+ up a sand hill; it’s running up the same hill in the dark. Duning in the dark is by far one of the biggest rushes you can experience. You are definitely living on the edge when you don’t know what lies ahead in the darkness. Everything changes and nothing looks the same. You can go back to the same place you drove through during the day, but for some reason it just doesn’t look familiar. The desert is transformed into a night paradise, and you’re on a magic carpet ride.

Some of the things you experience after dark are worth staying up all night for. The sight of lights buzzing around might remind you of younger days chasing after glow bugs. You can still chase them, but this time you have a little more horsepower and travel. Heck, you might even turn out to be a natural night rider. It’s truly an adrenalin rush racing through the sand dunes at night. Somewhat scary, but it has that sweet feel to it that even though you want to head back, you just have to see what is over that next ridge.

For those of you who have never been off-roading at night, you are missing out. I won’t lie by saying it’s not dangerous, but it’s so much fun. You just have to take precautions and be more alert than during the day. Having a real good set of lights doesn’t hurt either. You can only drive as fast as your lighting will allow you. If you have poor lighting, don’t be surprised if you’re passed by Willy the desert tortoise. I recommend getting the best lighting you can afford if you plan on going night riding, it’s worth every penny, and it will make your duning that much more enjoyable.

One of my new favorite lighting systems is the Soltek by Baja Designs. This High Intensity Discharge (HID) light system includes race proven technology in a package that is easy to install on any sand car. No fabrication is needed to install the light bar assembly, it’s a straight bolt on. Minimal wiring is needed since they are pre-wired. Another nice feature on this system is the patented adjustment that allows you to dial in your desired light angles on the “fly”. The internal ballast also adds to its clean look. These lights are perfect for lighting up the night.


Some of the other HID lights popping up on sand cars are the ACRO HID’s and Hella Rallye 4000’s. I love seeing these bright lights in the distance as sand cars race through the night. Especially when there are three or more HID lights together; it looks like a spaceship from Star Wars.      

In addition to having good lighting helping to see the road ahead, it’s good to alert people behind you. L.E.D. taillights are by far one of the brightest ways to do the job. I really like these lights; they are easy to see if you are coming up on someone. Buggy whips with light bulbs or L.E.D. lights are also a good addition to any night duner’s list. These lit flags are much more visible than if you are flying them in the dark. They especially come in handy when you park on top of a dune and shut your lights and engine off. Just make sure you leave you flag light on, that way others can still see you.


  Lastly, GPS and a good flashlight are essential to surviving the night. When you get duning in the dark, everything starts to look the same after awhile. The GPS may be your lifesaver when it comes time to heading back to camp. Make sure to carry a cell phone with you just in case. When all else fails, use the trustee old flashlight to flag down other duner's to your rescue. Hopefully you aren’t the only one out there. Make sure you ride in a group during the night; this will make a world of difference if you happen to run into trouble. Buddies are good to have when you get stuck or your car breaks down in the darkness of the night.


So this year before you decide to put your sand toys away for the season, think about how you can optimize them for night rides. It is possible to go duning year-round if you really want to. Don’t let the hot days keep you from duning if the sand is where your heart really is. Take a chance and have some fun on the flipside of the sun. See you in the dunes my friends. DezertScorpion

The midnight posse roams through the night.	Is that a Star Wars TIE Fighter? The force is strong with this one.

This fellow duner shows us how his ride looks like in the dark. . . not bad

ACRO HID's with internal ballast on Sand Cars Unlimited long travel buggy (no cover)

Red L.E.D. taillights are very visible at night, even at high speeds

ACRO HID's with internal ballast on Sand Cars Unlimited long travel buggy

Hella Rallye 4000 HID lights - guaranteed to light up any night.	How about some HID's for your ATV. This system uses three KC HID lights in a quick remove system fabricated by So Cal Fab.

Sun down at the desert just means the night time fun is about to start

Magical lights appear on dark sandy dunes.

The all new Soltek HID light bar from Baja Designs