The Ford Bronco is already one of the easiest new SUVs to turn into an adventure rig, thanks to removable roof panels, removable doors, and an enormous aftermarket. Ford’s engineers apparently think there is still plenty of room to make camping with one considerably easier.
A recently published patent application shows several ideas designed around sleeping inside and on top of a Bronco-like SUV. Some are relatively simple, while others effectively turn the vehicle into a compact two-story campsite.
Ford Authority was among the first to shine a light on the application. Although the patent doesn’t explicitly promise a future Bronco accessory package, the SUV shown in the drawings leaves little doubt about the vehicle Ford had in mind.
The concepts range from fold-out sleeping platforms and small bedside tables to heated mattresses, cargo shelving, and elaborate rooftop tents accessed directly through the cabin. Whether any of them reach customers is another question entirely.
The Bronco Could Get A Proper Built-In Bed
The most straightforward idea solves a familiar problem for anyone who has tried sleeping inside an SUV. Folding the rear seats may create plenty of length, but the resulting surface isn’t necessarily flat or comfortable enough to use as a bed.
Ford’s proposed solution uses hinged panels that unfold across the rear cabin after the second-row seats are lowered and the front seats are moved forward. Depending on the configuration, folding legs can support the platform from the floor, or supports integrated into the front seatbacks can hold it in position.
Other drawings preserve the rear bench’s 60/40 split-folding functionality, potentially letting owners deploy only part of the sleeping area. Ford even illustrates small fold-out tables mounted to the front seatbacks, giving campers somewhere to place phones, drinks, or other nighttime essentials.
Ford Has Thought About The Mattress Too
The patent doesn’t stop at providing a flat surface. Drawings also describe a mattress designed to fit over the platform, including the possibility of electric heating.
Storage hasn’t been ignored either, as a raised cargo shelf could span the rear of the Bronco above the sleeper’s feet, allowing bags and camping equipment to remain inside without occupying the mattress area.
Some versions also incorporate an insect-resistant mesh arrangement for ventilation. Taken together, the system looks considerably more integrated than simply tossing an inflatable mattress into the back of the SUV.
Then There’s A Second Bedroom Upstairs
The more ambitious part of Ford’s filing moves the campsite onto the roof. Several drawings show elevated sleeping platforms or rooftop tents that work with a large roof opening and can be entered directly from inside the vehicle.
That interior access is significant because conventional rooftop tents normally require an exterior ladder. Since the Bronco already uses removable roof sections, Ford could theoretically develop a camping setup without owners having to permanently cut apart the vehicle’s roof structure.
One particularly elaborate configuration extends forward over the hood and appears to use supports near the Bronco’s Trail Sights. Other versions stay almost entirely above the roof, while another drawing depicts a pop-up structure carrying solar panels that could potentially supply camping equipment or maintain the vehicle’s 12-volt battery.
Did Ford Accidentally Show The Next Bronco?
There’s another interesting detail hiding in the drawings: the SUV itself doesn’t look exactly like today’s Bronco. It’s still boxy and unmistakably Bronco-like, yet some illustrations show different proportions, redesigned bodywork, and even what appears to be a top-hinged rear liftgate instead of the current side-opening tailgate.
That has prompted speculation that Ford may have inadvertently provided an early hint at a future-generation Bronco. Patent illustrations aren’t reliable previews of production styling, however, so treating these drawings as confirmation of a redesign would be premature.
Ford itself offers the usual warning about reading too much into patent filings. The company says protecting intellectual property is a normal part of business and that ideas appearing in applications shouldn’t be interpreted as confirmed product plans.
Still, these concepts fit the Bronco unusually well. A factory-designed sleeping platform and internally accessible rooftop tent could turn Ford’s off-roader into a remarkably capable camping machine without requiring owners to start cutting holes in their expensive SUV.