Just when you thought the battle of the dual-cabs couldn’t get bigger, Ford goes and patents this little gem – tub-mounted TV. Yep, that’s a projector and screen set up in the tub of a ute. State of Origin on the big screen while camping, anyone?
The patent, entitled “Portable entertainment support system for a pickup truck box”, which was lodged way back in August of 2017, actually looks pretty straightforward. It involves mounts in the tub for the screen, projector and a set of speakers. The set-up mounts perpendicular to the tray bed, and has telescopic poles that extend upwards for screen mounting and rearwards for projector mounting. The telescopic poles attach to mounts that are affixed to the inside of the tub, and bobs your uncle.
In the patent, Ford have added this description as to the how and why:
“Some truck owners customise the pickup truck box to provide convenient interface points for tie-downs that are used to secure tools, motorcycles, recreation vehicles, containers, or other cargo. Some pickup truck owners may drill holes in the pickup truck box or use existing holes or other structural features such as edge flanges or the top end of the bed wall to provide interface points for accessories. Drilling holes in a pickup truck box may increase the extent of corrosion, disrupt the integrity, and reduce the strength of the structure. Using existing structural features to secure objects to a pickup truck box may not meet all of a user’s needs and requirements.”
While the mounting system sounds like a sensible addition to just about any ute tub, we can’t seem to draw our eyes away from the fact that in the patent, Ford have used a projector, screen and speakers to illustrate the mounting system.
So imagine if you will, you’re out camping on State of Origin night, someone’s brought beer on tap in their 12v fridge, piping hot pies and sausage rolls in the 12V pie oven, and now you’ve got a tub-mounted TV with the footy on it … why do we even need houses anymore?!
