Bronco Raptor: The First Overlanding Beast of Its Kind

Cody Hill’s Overlanding Bronco Raptor

For Cody Hill, building wild, fully custom vehicles isn’t a hobby; it’s a way of life. Whether it was a towering squarebody C10, a lifted Ford F-350 dually rolling on 28s, or a tricked-out side-by-side UTV, Cody has always been the type to build big and bring his family along for the ride. But when Ford announced the Raptor version of their reinvented Bronco, something different sparked inside of him.

Instead of going the expected route with big wheels or mall-crawler flash, Cody saw an opportunity to go off-grid—literally. Overlanding was a growing trend in the custom scene, but Cody realized no one had yet tackled an overlanding Bronco Raptor. That lone idea ignited a full-blown build concept that quickly snowballed into something the custom world hadn’t seen before.

To get the wheels turning, literally and figuratively, Cody called on his longtime friend and show scene veteran, Robbie Bryant. Robbie, knowing the right people in the right places, connected Cody with Brock Baker, who is a specialist in overland gear and a perfect match for Cody’s vision. Together, the trio dialed in a plan that would elevate the Bronco Raptor into a trailblazing, crowd-gathering rig ready for both SEMA show floors and Colorado mountain passes.

While the factory suspension on the Bronco Raptor was already highly capable, Cody opted for higher-rate Eibach springs paired with Fox shocks to better suit the fully loaded trail setup and family comfort on those longer off-road runs. This upgrade also came just in time when Kenwood caught wind of the build and jumped onboard as a sponsor, as well as asking to feature the Raptor in their booth at the 2024 SEMA Show. Being a lifelong fan of high-end audio systems, Cody jumped at the opportunity.

Rolling on a set of KGI Forged 17×9 Lifter beadlock wheels wrapped in massive 37-inch Fury Country Hunter MT2 tires, the Bronco had the grip and clearance needed for serious off-road adventures. Brock added a subtle pop by powdercoating the beadlock rings and bumper accents to tie the look together.

For protection and practicality, Bodyguard Baja front and rear bumpers replaced the stock plastic ones. The front end was adorned with Tufskinz Raptor emblems, custom hood badges, and a full suite of RIGID Industries lighting, ready to cut through the darkest of trails. Up top, an Inspired Overland carbon fiber rooftop tent was perched on a TrailRax rack, providing a solid home base for overnight trailside camping.

Cody didn’t stop there. The Bronco was then outfitted with RotopaX fuel and water cans, Maxtrax recovery boards, an Agency 6 tire carrier, a Go Rhino jack, a Midland radio antenna, and a Taruca 270-degree awning—all chosen with purpose for full overland capability.

To tie the whole aesthetic together, Michael La Plante at Infinite Customs painted the custom accent pieces, while AFD Graphix applied a stunning reflective vinyl wrap featuring the logos of the many companies that helped bring this vision to life.

When the dust settled, Cody debuted the finished Bronco at SEMA 2024 and later took it to Lake City, Colorado, for some real-world trail riding with his family. For a guy who has built just about everything, this one was truly different.

“It was something new for me, a different style of build and a new kind of fun,” Cody said. “But man, that Kenwood sound system really made it complete. Plenty of tunes for the trails.”

And just like that, Cody Hill has once again done what he always does: blaze his own trail, both on the map and in the scene. Only this time, the road ahead was a little less paved… and a whole lot
more adventurous.