Light Up the Trail

Dave Sousa is the inventor of the CrawlBright series of light bars and light pods. Jeepin’ Central Florida caught up with Sousa to learn how he got into the off-road business and why cheaply made light bars have no place on your Jeep.

What inspired you to develop CrawlBright?
Years ago, I purchased my first light bar. It was inexpensive and poorly made. After the first heavy rain, the bar had water in it. My next night ride was equally disastrous. It just wasn’t bright enough to light the trail ahead.

After much research for a new, quality light bar, I realized that there are essentially two options: expensive or cheap. I had a need for a good light bar, but I didn’t want to break the bank, and I knew that there were many Jeepers out there like me. That’s how CrawlBright Performance Off Road Lighting was born.

Can you explain to us how your product is different from others on the market?
First, our lights use the best materials — name-brand Cree and Osram LEDs, aircraft aluminum frames, real rubber gaskets, scratch-resistant and virtually unbreakable polycarbonate lenses — that aren’t available even on other brands in our price range.

Second, we have features that much of our competition doesn’t. Our light bars feature a gore valve, so in the unlikely event moisture penetrates our gasket, it will evaporate out. We have specially designed 3D and 4D lenses to focus the light into a beam for maximum illumination distance.

Finally, we focus on quality. Our lights are submerged in a water tank for eight hours, then burn-in tested for 24 hours before we let them leave the factory.

Window Frame Bracket & 50-inch Light Bar on Jeep YJ
and the 21.5-inch 4D LED Light Bar

Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
I have a 25-year career in electronics manufacturing, along with a background in aftermarket automotive electronics. In 2003, I needed a new car. I wanted a convertible and the Wrangler caught my eye. I had no idea that other Jeep drivers I didn’t know would wave to me, or that random people in parking lots would comment “nice Jeep!” to my totally bone stock 2.5L TJ.

I was hooked, becoming part of the club. Since then I’ve owned that ’03, 2 YJs, and 2 JKUs. With my love of Jeeps and my background in electronics manufacturing, starting a company making Performance Off Road Lighting was an easy decision.

Do your light bars hold up to the elements better than others on the market, making them better for Florida’s climate?
We really focus on the waterproof aspects of our lights. We often hear stories of light bars that went through a heavy thunderstorm and are sloshing around like a fish tank. Weak solder joints and water ingress are the most common causes of light bar failure. You won’t ever experience those issues with CrawlBright lights.

Nuts and Bolts

Dave Name is the founder of CrawlBright, a supplier of light bars and light pods built for Jeepers who need more candlepower for night riding. Visit his website at CrawlBright.com.

What products do you offer?
Name: We started with light bars in various sizes from 13-inch to 50-inch, plus light pods. We recently introduced 4D lenses to our bars and pods, which really project the light over great distance. We added high-quality rock lights, some with Bluetooth options, to the lineup earlier this year. We now offer two different models of headlamps plus various accessories like wire harnesses and colored covers.

Are your products compatible with all Jeep models?
Light bars themselves are fairly universal. You will need a bracket for your specific model. We currently offer various brackets for Wranglers built from 1987 to 2017. Our headlamps will fit JK, TJ and CJ.

Window Frame Bracket & 50-inch Light Bar on Jeep YJ
and the 21.5-inch 4D LED Light Bar

Do you have anything new coming out in the future?
We are working on a very bright new headlamp kit, which should be out by the end of this year. We are often asked for LED taillights, so that may be in the works as well.

How does your customer service work?
We are here to answer questions by phone, email or social media anytime. Orders placed on our website typically ship the same day, plus our products are available on Amazon Prime and at some select dealers around Central and Southwest Florida.

In the rare event that a customer has a defective light, we may sound surprised, but that’s not because we don’t trust our customer. We replace the product without question anytime within our three-year warranty period. We are Jeepers, and we are often selling to people we see at socials, trail rides and local events. We don’t want to have a single unhappy customer.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Readers of Jeepin’ Central Florida can use code “JCF” when buying on our website to get 15% off all CrawlBright Lights, brackets and accessories.

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