Could the Ford F-150 Really Get Fold-Out Truck Bed Seats?
If you grew up in the more rural corners of the country, you might recall riding around the bed of pickup trucks. For as much as the world has run away with itself, you can trust that out there somewhere, young people in the country are still riding in beds of trucks. Graciously, a new Ford patent seems to show an interest in getting people back in the beds of trucks again. Could the Ford F-150 really get fold-out seats in the bed?
New Ford patent shows fold-out seats in the F-150 bed
Ford Authority recently spotted a delightfully nostalgic patent application showing four fold-out seats in the bed of a Ford F-150. The seats are beautifully integrated to fold out when you want to use them and fold back in when you need to load the truck bed.
The patent application shows a few other features, like a cargo net that stretches across the bed and a folding bench, which could be used as a bed. If you pair these new seating options with Ford’s 7.2-kilowatt Pro Power Onboard mobile inverter, you begin to build one hell of a tailgating or camping rig.
Do new patents mean they will be made?
Ford is always applying for patents on ideas it wants to keep as options. Many of the applications never get made, but Ford can at least protect its IP this way. This is one the company could easily make.
We have covered a number of Ford patents that the Blue Oval will likely never make: Gullwing SUV doors, multicar sound systems, and mobile wireless EV charging networks. The only issue with these F-150 bed seats is that they might be illegal.
Is it legal to ride in the back of a truck?
I know for a fact that in the fair state of Alabama, there are no such laws keeping people from riding in the back of a pickup truck. In fact, this is true for many states. In most states, people are allowed to ride in the beds of trucks, but there are often some rules surrounding it. The IIHS says many states have rules saying that only employees on the job or people over 18 can ride in the back of a truck. The particulars of these laws change slightly from state to state. However, you might want to check with your state’s rules before hanging back there.
Ford’s patent is only for use while the truck is stationary. I don’t want anyone even thinking about riding around in them while your buddy tears ass down the dirt road. Don’t even think about it.
I miss the old days of truck ownership
If Ford’s goals with the patent were to make people miss the old days we spent sliding around our grandad’s truck bed, then it nailed it. Trucks have grown out of control. The old days of a truck’s worth being determined by reliability and utility are gone. As much as I like the seat idea for the F-150, even that burns me up. How is it any different than sitting on the floor or on the walls of the bed? It is clear that trucks are nicer, more comfortable, and probably better all around than they were 20 years ago, but that doesn’t mean we can’t miss the simple old dogs with their simple beds.
