Ford Patent Could Turn the Bronco Into a Two-Story Campsite

Ford Patent Could Turn the Bronco Into a Two-Story Campsite​

Ford is exploring a wild new way to sleep in your Bronco — and possibly on top of it​

Ford Bronco owners already know that the Bronco is about much more than getting from Point A to Point B. For many owners, it's a trail rig, beach cruiser, road-trip machine and sometimes even a place to spend the night.

Now, a recently published Ford patent suggests the company has been thinking about taking the Bronco camping experience considerably further.

The patent shows a Bronco-like SUV equipped with an elaborate sleeping system that could potentially provide camping space both inside the vehicle and above it.

In other words, Ford has imagined something resembling a two-story Bronco campsite.

A Sleeping Platform Inside the Bronco​

One of the most interesting parts of the design is an interior sleeping platform.

Rather than simply folding the rear seats down and throwing an air mattress in the back, Ford's concept uses multiple panels that can create a larger and flatter sleeping surface extending farther toward the front of the vehicle.

Different configurations shown in the patent use supports and attachment points to hold portions of the platform above the interior.

That could solve one of the biggest problems with sleeping inside an SUV: space.

Instead of completely filling the cargo area with a mattress and camping equipment, the elevated platform could potentially leave usable storage space underneath.

Ford even describes an inflatable mattress that could incorporate electric heating elements, potentially using power from the vehicle to keep occupants warmer during cold-weather camping.

And Then There's the Roof​

This is where things get especially interesting.

Another configuration places a camping platform on top of the Bronco-like SUV. When deployed, part of the platform extends forward over the hood, creating considerably more sleeping space than the vehicle's roof alone would normally provide.

A weather-resistant tent structure would then deploy around the platform.

But Ford didn't stop at simply putting a rooftop tent on a Bronco.

The patent describes an opening between the vehicle's roof and the upper camping area. With the appropriate roof opening retracted, occupants could potentially move between the Bronco's cabin and the rooftop sleeping area without climbing an exterior ladder.

Even more interesting is the possibility of routing conditioned air from the vehicle into the upper camping area.

That means the Bronco's heating or air-conditioning system could potentially help make the rooftop tent considerably more comfortable.

Solar Power Could Be Part of the Package​

Ford also illustrates another version of the system using a pop-up roof structure.

That design could incorporate a solar panel capable of supplying electricity to accessories or contributing power to the vehicle's 12-volt electrical system.

Combine that with onboard power, heating, air conditioning and an integrated sleeping platform, and Ford appears to be thinking well beyond the traditional rooftop tent.

Your Bronco Could Become a Bunkhouse​

Here's perhaps the coolest part.

The interior sleeping platform and rooftop camping area could potentially be used independently.

Deploy both and you essentially have two levels of sleeping space — one group inside the Bronco and another above it.

For families, couples traveling with friends, or Bronco owners bringing their dogs along for an adventure, that could make the vehicle a surprisingly capable compact base camp.

Imagine arriving at a trail destination, setting up camp directly from the Bronco and having sleeping accommodations upstairs and downstairs without unloading a traditional tent.

That's a very different kind of overlanding setup.

Don't Head to Your Ford Dealer Just Yet​

As exciting as the drawings are, there's one important distinction: this is a patent application, not a product announcement.

Automakers routinely patent ideas that never reach production.

Ford could ultimately build something similar, modify the idea considerably, license portions of the technology, or never manufacture it at all.

Still, the fact that Ford engineers are exploring integrated camping systems is noteworthy — particularly considering how strongly camping, overlanding and outdoor recreation have become associated with the Bronco community.

BroncoBusting Take​

We think Ford could be onto something here.

The aftermarket has already proven that Bronco owners will spend money turning their rigs into mobile campsites. Rooftop tents, awnings, refrigerators, portable power stations and sleeping platforms have become common equipment at Bronco events and trail rides.

If Ford could integrate some of those features directly into the vehicle — especially an interior sleeping platform combined with an internally accessible rooftop tent — it could eliminate a lot of the compromises that come with aftermarket camping equipment.

And let's admit it:

A two-story Bronco campsite would just be cool.

The big question is whether Ford actually builds it.

What do you think?​

Would you camp in a Bronco equipped with an integrated rooftop sleeping area like this?

Or would you rather stick with a traditional tent or aftermarket rooftop setup?

Join the discussion on BroncoBusting.com and tell us what you'd want Ford to include in the ultimate factory Bronco camping package.