To fit 37s, I added a 3.5” Teraflex lift with Falcon coilovers and paired the tires with lighter Nomad wheels. The lift gave the Bronco the clearance it needed, but the bigger win was getting the suspension back into a better place after adding camping weight, roof gear, and the usual pile of trip junk.

The 37s added ground clearance and helped the Bronco feel better on desert roads, ledges, and rough tracks, but they also came with tradeoffs: a worse turning radius, a little more vague highway feel, and more tire to move around.

On my setup, crash bar clearance was part of the 37s conversation. Luckily, I didn’t have to touch them. Tire size, wheel offset, suspension height, and actual tire shape all matter, so there is not one universal answer for every Bronco. With my exact lift kit, and BF Goodrich KO2 37” tires, I cleared just fine.

The boring but useful answer: check clearance at full lock, under compression, and with the suspension loaded the way you actually use the truck. A tire that clears in the driveway may not clear the same way on a rough trail with camping gear, a rooftop tent, and the rear of the Bronco sitting deeper in the travel.

I’m running a Yakima SkyPeak HD rooftop tent on a TrailRax roof rack. The tent makes quick camp setup easier and gives the kids an elevated little sleep cave, while the rack gives the Bronco more usable storage for desert trips, bike weekends, and family camping.

The tradeoff is height and weight. The Bronco gets taller, the center of gravity changes, and garage clearance becomes something you think about more than any grown adult should.

The short version is that you need to think about the whole roof system, not just the tent. A stronger roof rack can help distribute weight and support rooftop camping gear better than the factory rails, but the limiting factor is still the vehicle, rack rating, tent weight, mounting setup, and whether you are talking about static load or dynamic load.

For my setup, the TrailRax roof rack is the foundation for carrying the Yakima SkyPeak HD rooftop tent. I also installed their Pack Rx system to increase the weight ratings. The Pack Rax sits on top of the rear fenders, adding some additional support. I still treat roof weight with respect because desert roads, wind, speed, and bouncing around off-road are very different from sitting still at camp.

Not great, because physics remains undefeated. With 37s, a lift, a roof rack, a rooftop tent, and camping gear, the Bronco is not exactly sipping fuel like a commuter car.

Real-world MPG depends heavily on speed, wind, elevation, tire pressure, road surface, and how much gear is loaded. Highway driving with the tent on top is the biggest hit. Desert roads and slower travel are less about MPG and more about accepting that the gas tank is part of the trip budget.

I’m usually getting between 14-16MPG, depending on how heavy I am.

The build works well for how I actually use the truck: Utah desert roads, family camping, bike trips, and the occasional Moab confidence check. If I changed anything, it would mostly be around storage and weight management, because space in the Bronco disappears fast once kids, dogs, water, tools, recovery gear, food, and camping gear get involved.

The truck is capable. The packing system is usually the real enemy.

This Bronco build is for Utah desert road trips, family camping, bike trips, San Rafael Swell exploring, Moab trails, Canyonlands-adjacent wandering, and getting to places that are just far enough out to feel worth the effort.

It is not a show build. It is not built for Instagram points. It is the truck behind the field notes.