If you’re football fans, the way we are here at Guaranty RV, you love tailgating and you’re already starting to plan for this fall’s epic tailgate parties. We’re counting the days until our Oregon teams get on the field for the 2015 season (just two more weeks!). We’ve pulled out our jerseys and streamers and flags, we’ve already organized who is to bring what scrumptious BBQ items to the first game, and we’ve got the RV prepped and ready to roll … because, of course, tailgating and RVing go hand-in-hand here in Junction City. We’ve been waiting for this day for months. We’re so excited, we’re going to devote this blog to RV tailgating tips.
Don’t worry if you don’t own an RV yet, or maybe your awesome pop-up camper isn’t the best thing for tailgating; at Guaranty RV we’ve got the perfect RV Rentals for you to take to the big game. Read on and we’ll tell you more about RV tailgating and we’ll also share some tips to help you tailgate like a rockstar in your RV.
Step 1: Put yourself in the tailgating mood by listening to the Tailgate Party Song by George Dare.
RVs: The Perfect Tailgating Vehicle
If you’ve done much tailgating in the past few years, you’ve no doubt seen increasing numbers of RVs rolling into the stadium parking lot. The popularity of RV tailgating in America has grown by leaps and bounds—so much so that some stadiums have designated whole sections of the parking lot just for RV tailgaters.
There are obvious reasons why a motorhome, fifth wheel or travel trailer make ideal tailgating vehicles. You have your own bathroom and a full kitchen with a refrigerator, so everything is at your fingertips, food prep is easy and you never have to go in search of the public restroom. If you’re tailgating with kids, you have easy cleanup options for dirty little faces and hands, and if someone needs a nap, you’ve got plenty of bed options. If you’ve been camping or road tripping this summer, your RV is probably still packed and ready to go; you’ll only have to load up the food and drinks for game day, so you can say goodbye to the stress of trying to get everything packed and into your car each time. You can serve food hot from your RV kitchen or your outside grill, and keep the drinks cold without the need for an ice chest. And if it starts to rain, as it often does here in Western Oregon in the winter, you’ve got an awning and plenty of inside living space, so you can move the party where it’s dry and turn on the heat if you need to. Plus, you’ve got a TV, so those folks who don’t want to go into the stadium can watch the game with all the comforts of home.
If you’re ready to take your tailgate party up a notch, RVs are also the perfect place to show off your team pride. Whether you hang banners and flags from the awning, or get a special paint job to make the ultimate fan statement, your motorhome, fifth wheel or travel trailer offers you a wealth of options for sporting your team colors. Go wild and be the ultimate fan.
Planning Ahead is Key
When you’re tailgating in an RV, you need to plan ahead, just as you would for a camping trip. We’ve said this before, but this is a good time to say it again: Make a checklist that you follow every time you’re getting ready to travel with your RV. Laminate it and buy yourself a dry erase marker so you can use your checklist again and again. Every RV is different and every tailgater has their own way of doing things, so your list may look different than the next guy’s, but you can find good basic preparation lists online at places such as RV Goddess. Your RV tailgating checklist should include:
Get your RV serviced prior to game day if you haven’t done it in a while.
Check your appliances to make sure everything is working properly.
Check your generator to make sure it can stand up to your margarita blender, microwave and TV running all at once.
Fill your water tanks.
Start your RV refrigerator the night before the game, and only fill it with chilled, not warm, food so it can run efficiently for the great food and drinks you’re bringing.
Pack extra stadium blankets, rain ponchos and hand warmers in case it turns chilly—you’ve got plenty of storage in your RV, so think ahead to what you might need.
Is there anybody in your crew who isn’t going to the stadium? Make sure the TV works for the people staying at the RV; they’d hate to miss the game.
Plan your travel route ahead of time, because streets are often strictly controlled on game days, particularly for large vehicles like RVs.
Stadium policies differ on RV parking and tailgating, so make sure you know in advance if there is an assigned parking lot for RVs, etc.
Planning ahead and making a tailgating checklist will help you avoid catastrophes such as breaking down on the way or finding yourself at the stadium without a working refrigerator.
Get Tailgating Tips, Ideas and Recipes From the Pros:
We go to the tailgating experts when we’re looking for tips on tailgating in our RVs. By “experts” we mean the seasoned American tailgaters who have made tailgating an art form. In other words, we look to Pinterest, BuzzFeed, Tailgating.com and other online resources where tailgaters share ideas, recipes and team spirit. Looking for some great new tailgating recipes? Here you go. Want a map of the stadium parking lot you’re heading to? Here’s a link. These folks take their tailgating seriously and they’re happy to share their wisdom.
If you’re wanting to deck your RV out in your team’s colors for the day of the game, be sure to check local businesses, as well as online sources. Sure you can find amazing things on Amazon, but purchasing team swag at the university bookstore or city shops supports the local economy and, in the case of college teams, helps out their school too.
Rent an RV for Game Day:
If you’re interested in trying out RV tailgating and you don’t own an RV, or maybe you have an RV you love but it’s too small for tailgating, don’t despair. Ask about our tailgate packages for local home games, and talk to us about renting an RV to take to the bowl game at the end of the season (because you know your team will be there). Whether you’re thinking you want something for the day or for a drive to Pasadena, renting an RV can not only give you the ultimate tailgating vehicle, but also rack up savings for you traveling to those away games, because RV travel is less expensive than renting hotel rooms and purchasing meals in restaurants.
Renting an RV is easy and we have a wide selection of rentals for you to choose from, so you can create exactly the experience you want. We even have a beautiful 2016 Itasca Sunstar that is ability equipped with a wheelchair lift, a roll-in bathroom, an adjustable-height dinette table, and so much more, so that everyone you love can have access to your epic tailgate.
As George Dare says in the Tailgate Party Song, tailgating is “the ultimate tradition to psyche us for the game.” Tailgating in an RV only makes it that much better of an experience. Here at Guaranty RV, we understand that tailgating and RVing are American traditions that are even better in combination. So whether you’ve already got the perfect tailgating RV and you just need pre-football-season service, or you’re thinking about renting an RV to check out this growing phenomenon of RV tailgating, or you’re in the market to purchase an RV in the next year that will serve all your camping and tailgating needs, be sure and contact us .
Photo: David Steltz
