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Food Truck Lighting ideas – 5 Best Types of LED Light for Food Truck

Are you remodeling your food truck and you are considering what type of led light to use? If YES, here are 5 best led lights for food trucks.

Ever seen a food truck at night? Those colorful, bright, bouncy and beautiful lights that line the truck and its environs is the work of LEDs.

It is an undeniable fact that lights can make a huge impact on how much business your truck receives, especially at night. Not only are lights necessary for food preparation and cooking, they play a key factor in grabbing customers’ attention.

Called Light Emitting Diodes, LEDs are brighter, more durable, and draw less power than the normal incandescent bulb we are familiar with. In other words, an LED is better than a traditional light bulb, especially when it comes to lighting up your food truck.

So, if you sell mostly in the evenings and at night, you will need creative lights to lighten up your path and draw the customers your way. This is why you should start looking out for an LED light array to buy.

There are a ton of options on the market, and many of these options have several styles, shapes, and sizes among them. Before we proceed, let us tell you the types of LED lights you can see in the market. We will also tell you how to pick out the best.

Best Food Truck Lighting in the Market

1. Tube Bulbs 

Tube bulbs are very popular LED lights for food trucks and they are usually used for overhead lighting. Depending on the layout of your food truck, slender T5 or standard T8 bulbs in 2 to 4-foot lengths can illuminate your interiors.

Since tube lights can cover large areas, they work best for overhead general lighting purposes inside the truck. Also know that regardless of what bulbs you decide to use, you will need vapor tight fixtures to protect your lights.

Vapor tight fixtures prevent small particles of liquid, such as steam or grease, from entering the fixture and potentially creating an electrical problem.

They also keep your lights from harboring any substances that go against the health code. You can use fluorescent tubes or the more energy-efficient, lower wattage LED tubes.

2. Strip Lights and Rope Lights 

Another way to provide essential task lighting inside food trucks is by installing LED strip lights or rope light. Rope light and strip lights are flexible, ideal for spaces like your under cabinets or as backlighting.

Not only are strip lights easy to install because of their adhesive back, they help to eliminate shadows produced by overhead lighting, creating a more even light distribution. It should be noted that eventually the adhesive backing of your tape lights will wear out.

3. Patio Stringers

Patio stringers are there to sprinkle colour on your patio. This is one way food truckers make their presence known to the eating public.

Consider the addition of colored light bulbs. Use bulbs that are the same color or complimentary of your food truck. If you are parked near a tree, try adding colored light bulbs to patio stringers.

Drape the bulbs above your truck or around the awning near the opening where customers order and pick up their food. If you aren’t near any trees, another option you may want to consider is using wooden posts to drape or wrap the lights on

4. Cup Lights

Plastic red cups have the reputation of being all about partying and a good time. Make your food truck the place to be by incorporating the quintessential red party cup into your outdoor décor. All you need is red SOLO cups, some string lights and 1 pair of scissors or x-acto knife.

5. Flood or other Standing lights

They’re tall and bulky and may be a pain to transport and set-up in different locations, but darn if they’re not great at creating an ‘area’ and ‘atmosphere’ to draw focus to your operation.

Not to mention they illuminate everything completely, even if there’s no fun design aspects to them. Here are some of our LE light picks;

Best LED Light for Food Truck

1. Westin High Power LED Light Bar

Westin is one company that is doing quite good when it comes to LED lighting. They have indeed managed to cram a lot of power into a small, energy efficient package.

These High Power LED Bars are equipped with Cree 10 Watt Led Chips and will light the way no matter how dark the night or nasty the weather. These high-output chips generate less heat and require less energy compared to HID alternatives.

These LED lights are secured in weather-proof housing complete with a powder-coat finish. Each light is rated at IP68 (meaning they are dust/water proof) and features a lifespan of over 50,000 hours.

And the best part? Every Cree 10 Watt Light Bar ships with a wiring harness for a straightforward hook-up. Westin High Power LED Bars are backed by a 1-Year Warranty.

2. T-Rex Torch Series LED Light Bar

Dominate the night with the help of a T-Rex Torch Series LED Light Bar or Light Pods. With so many options to choose from involving both mount location and grille locations, you can make this LED Light Bar all your own.

With all necessary mounting hardware and detailed instructions included, Torch Series LED Light Bar installation won’t give you any issues at all.

You can choose what best fits your vehicle, whether that means upper or bumper grille, or the option of a universal wiring harness.

Additionally, installation is a breeze with all the right mounting hardware and detailed instructions included. The T-Rex Torch Series LED Light Bar is constructed from a T-304 grade stainless steel, meaning it’s built to last. It is backed by a 3-Year Warranty.

3. Westin EF2 LED Light Bar

The Westin EF2 LED Light Bar comes as small as just six inches thus making is suitable for that small space in your food truck. Need a long bar? The EF2 is also available as long as fifty inches – and many lengths are available in between!

Each length of EF2 bar is IP68 rated and designed to last well beyond 50,000 hours of use. Westin backs this claim with a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Whether it’s a focused spotlight you’ve been looking for, or perhaps a more widely illuminating combo beam, you are very much covered. The trick is finding a rough and tough light bar that can keep up with the heavy-duty lifestyle that you subject your truck to.

Built with Epistar 3-Watt LED chips, the Westin EF2 LED Light Bar will bring dazzling light output to your vehicle in a resilient and reliable package.

The 6063 Extruded Aluminum housing of your Westin EF2 LED Light Bar features oversized heat sinks to ensure the device doesn’t overheat.

In addition, PWM thermal management regulation and a GORE® pressure equalizing vent further safeguard the lamp and keep it running at optimal performance.

With a lower amperage draw than HID equivalents and absolutely zero harmful UV emissions, this LED bar boasts a lifespan of over 50,000 hours – which would be nearly six years of continuous use.

A high-quality powder coat finish, rubber seal, and completely unbreakable and scratch resistant lens, this is one light bar designed to handle your rough and tumble lifestyle. Available in multiple sizes from 6 to 50 inches in length, each version is IP rated at 68.

The bolt-on installation is as easy as can be and all of the necessary mounting hardware is included as well as a pigtail harness and connector.

4. KC Hilites Pro6 Gravity LED Light Bar

When KC Hilites set out to make a new light bar, the likes of which have never been seen, they got the attention of pretty much anybody even slightly interested in aftermarket lighting.

After years of field testing and focus grouping, KC had found a firm grasp on what was missing from the light bar world, and was ready to release the KC Hilites Pro6 Gravity LED Light Bar.

The most interesting aspect of the KC Hilites Pro6 Gravity LED Light Bar is its modular design – the patent-pending Infinity Ring system. This system allows you to easily add or remove the individual LED lamps, quickly customizing your light bar for any vehicle.

In addition, a new and innovative bolt pattern means you can install your bar straight or curved, and change it back whenever you want.

Truly the chameleon of light bars, this adaptable accessory will not only fit your current vehicle, but pretty much any vehicle you might get in the future.

Powered by KC’s patented Gravity LED G6 optical inserts, this light bar produces a high power output, with a minimal amperage draw. Brackets not included and this product is backed by a 23-Year Warranty.

5. Vision X Xmitter LED Light Bar

Vision X Xmitter LED Light Bar is one LED light bar can come with a certain brilliance. Updated multi-volt electronics increase this light bar’s electrical output, while an efficient design lowers power consumption.

Patented optics shine their beams in a seamless pattern, and extruded 6061 aluminum housing keeps the Vision X Xmitter LED Light Bar secure.

Polycarbonate lenses and isolated rubber mounts increase clarity while reducing vibration, and a multitude of choice is available before you purchase: single stack or double stack configurations, European beam or flood beam lights, lengths extending from 4″ to nearly 52″, and three different finishes.

Furthermore, this LED light boasts of a 50,000-hour lifespan. This gives you the confidence that this light is not going out any time soon.