Believe it or not, it's been five years since Ford dropped the new Bronco onto the rough-and-rowdy 4x4 scene to give Jeep a run for its money. And yet, we still don't have a means of using it as an amazingly capable overland camper more sophisticated than folding the seats or bolting on a rooftop tent. That officially changes this year with the launch of the all-new Ursa Minor Bronco B30 pop-up roof that swaps in for the factory hard or soft top and brings along a double bed. It's compatible with even the most extreme Bronco variants, promising a 4x4 adventure camping experience like little to nothing else out there.
It may be the first Bronco roof for Oregon-based Ursa Minor, but it's far from the company's first rooftop rodeo. Ursa Minor has built its entire brand around developing pop-up roofs for various small vehicles, starting with the Honda Element back in 2007 and continuing through the four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JK and JL) and Ford Transit Connect. It's been working diligently on the Bronco topper for several years and now has it completed and ready for eager Ford explorers.
The new B30 is essentially a Bronco-adapted version of Ursa's J30 Wrangler Unlimited pop-top, designed specifically for the four-door Bronco. The roof pops up manually with the help of an integrated strut system and allows campers to climb up to bed directly from inside the SUV through a hatch over the Bronco cab. The tented space comes standard with a 2-in (5-cm) double mattress offering a sleeping area of 86 x 49 inches (218 x 124-cm). Buyers can also upgrade to a cushier 3-in-thick (7.6-cm) mattress as an option.
The swapped roof is ultimately a little lower profile than the J30, adding 7 inches (18 cm) of height over the stock Bronco roof as opposed to the 10 inches (25 in) the J30 adds to the Wrangler. While full vehicle height will vary based on trim, suspension, tire size and other factors, a base four-door Bronco measures in at 73 in (185 cm) tall, which brings it up to 80 in (203 cm) after the addition of the B30 roof, low enough to roll into the standard 7-ft-high (213-cm) garages common across the US.
More jacked-up Bronco variants like the 77.8-in (198-cm) Raptor will need to find home in a taller RV garage ... or outside in the driveway.
As far as weight goes, the complete changeover to B30 pop-top adds the same estimated 165 lb (75 kg) to the Bronco's curb weight as the J30 adds to the Wrangler's, less than some two-person hardshell rooftop tents (RTTs), especially after factoring in the crossbars or platform rack necessary to carry a tent. So not only do you enjoy a more neatly integrated in-vehicle camping experience, but Ursa's pop-up roof is both lower in profile and weight than you can expect from many mounted rooftop tents (though a particularly light, sleek RTT certainly could compete in one way or another).
Unfortunately for those looking for the smallest, nimblest 4x4 experience, the B30 is not compatible with the two-door Bronco. Ursa says it has no plans to build a pop-top for the two-door, and it does not offer one for the Jeep Wrangler, either.
That said, it'll be difficult to find a more compact, rugged integrated camper with interior access to the sleeper roof. Just looking at that baby blue Bronc makes us think of all the forest road offshoots and side trails we could explore on the way to making an absolutely unforgettable camp amidst remote scenery. Forest, desert, mountain, coastline, ice field ... take your pick.
To dial up the overall off-road-readiness even more, Ursa's new kit is compatible with all Bronco trims, including hardcore off-roaders like the Raptor and Everglades. Ursa notes that the roof is designed to accommodate the Raptor's extra B-pillar crossbar and does not interfere with the Everglades' included snorkel.
The Bronco B30 roof is available now for prices starting at US$11,500 before installation or shipping fees. Options include roof rack packages ranging from basic mounting points through to full rail-and-crossbar systems, awning mounting points, interior lighting and electrical outlets, and vehicle color matching. Ursa also handles custom requests, up to and including full vehicle build-outs.
Ursa Minor recently consolidated its split California/Oregon operations into a single facility in the Portland area, which performs all installations. B30 installation runs $675.
Source: Ursa Minor
