The Blue Oval recently launched an electrified version of its iconic SUV that features a few overlanding-worthy additions.
By Gray Van Dyke
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Over the summer, images first surfaced of a Ford patent detailing a folding tonneau tent for truck beds. Between the design’s smart shelter provisions and its additional aerodynamic benefits, it promises a truly next-gen solution to rooftop tents — should it come to fruition.
While only time will tell if such a product will actually ever see the light of day, that’s not to say that the Blue Oval is currently without its fair share of camping innovations.
Quite the contrary, in fact. Following the debut of the New Energy, Ford China recently launched an electrified version of the Bronco known as the Basecamp. It comes with a bevy of camping-ready features that make it the ideal getaway vehicle.
In keeping with its name, the Bronco Basecamp is designed to provide Chinese buyers with a camping-friendly off-road SUV option. Accordingly, it comes equipped with features that make it perfect for overnighters and multi-day getaways alike.
The coolest of which, by far, is the pop-up roof option. With the touch of a button on the central touchscreen display, users can deploy an automatic panoramic glass roof that raises the ceiling height by 14.2 inches. 
While that doesn’t exactly turn the Bronco into something with sufficient room to stand — like an RV or a camper, for instance — it does greatly improve the rear accommodations. 
It’s a good thing, too, because Ford offers a Bronco-branded inflatable mattress for the Basecamp that spans the rear when the seats (which are also specially designed to be tucked away) are folded flat. In practice, this turns the back of the SUV into a mobile sleeper solution.
Of course, that’s hardly the only camping-focused feature that Ford has thrown at its Bronco Basecamp. At the rear, you’ll also find a smart side table that integrates into the tailgate. Because it sports a magnetic storage panel for cutlery, it provides a perfect space for prep and cooking. 
Add to that optional exterior awnings, furniture and various other camping accouterments, and it makes for quite the capable overlanding option. 
And that’s not even addressing the drivetrain. Unlike the Bronco that Ford sells here in the United States, the Basecamp is available as both a conventional EV and an EREV. It’s built in collaboration with Jiangling.
In the case of the former, it makes do with a 105.4 kWh battery pack and a pair of electric motors — one at the front and one at the rear. Together, they make a combined  445 horsepower, and Ford puts range at a claimed 404 miles on the Chinese test cycle.
Assuming you’re looking for something with a bit more road trip potential, the EREV Bronco Basecamp offers an excellent alternative. By pairing a similar motor and battery pack setup to the above (though slightly smaller at  43.7 kWh for the cell) with a turbocharged 1.5-liter gas engine, Ford says that range comes out to an estimated 137 miles in pure electric mode and a total of 758 miles altogether.
While the Bronco and Bronco Sport are far more fuel efficient than their ancestors, they’re hardly economical sippers when compared to the Basecamp. Even the smallest EcoBoost engine maxes out at 25 mpg city / 29 mpg highway.
Being developed for the Chinese market, it’s not likely that the Ford Bronco Basecamp will make its way to the United States anytime soon — especially given the current climate regarding EVs. Nevertheless, as part of a launch promotion, Ford will be offering the roof option free of charge. Typically, it retails for what works out to be about $1,600.
If you’re interested in a similar concept, an overlanding specialist by the name of Ursa Minors has developed this integrated rooftop tent solution for the four-door Bronco SUV. It’s a little different in execution, but it’ll elevate your sleeping setup to new heights all the same.
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