Images from Patent Publication No. U2024/0208395 A1

The automotive world is abuzz about a new camper! To our current knowledge, Honda’s camper only exists in patent application form, shown in the drawings above.  

The camper has a close resemblance to the Honda Element SUV (top image), which developed a cult following for its boxy design. Drivers praised the versatile and spacious interior. Its surfing-inspired style attracted outdoor recreational enthusiasts, with the 2007 model winning DogCars.com’s “Dog Car of the Year” award.

The Honda Element Lives On in New Camper Patent Application

A new version of the Element hasn’t been sold since 2011, but the car’s spirit and design are alive and well in Honda’s recently-published patent application for its invention of “Camper for a Vehicle.” The patent application details the crux of the invention is the back-end and top-side extendable cabin portions. Honda Element fans will see in the drawings from the patent application (shown above), the Honda Camper was developed with the SUV in mind.  

New Honda Camper Details 

We can glean a few other details about the new design from the patent application:

• The cabin modules extend into their fully deployed position with the press of a button, minimizing hassle.

• Specifically designed extendable cabin portions accommodate sleeping space for adults.

• The back camper extension can be used as a washroom, with foldable portions that deploy and reach the ground when in the extended position.

• The invention eliminates additional pieces of camping equipment (i.e., tents, posts, ropes, etc.) that are required to assemble currently existing camper attachments to vehicles.

For Honda Element fans, perhaps the most exciting part of the current Honda camper patent application is that it appears the company may be developing a single vehicle with integrated camper modules.  

The camper modules will almost certainly be able to be retrofitted to specific vehicles, but it’s exciting to dream that the Element may be truly a living space on wheels! Happy exploring, everyone!

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