Tow-able Parties

by David Kierski
01/08

So you spent the last six weeks testing and refining the perfect charcoal blend and you still feel empty. Every weekend you roll out your stainless-steel 300 square-inch even-heating barbeque, and you’re still not getting the acclaim you deserve. Your tires are starting to go flat from all the gear you haul around, and your back’s been complaining more and more every time you load it all into your vehicle. Has tailgating lost all its joy? Is there something wrong with you? Should you call the doctor? What does all this mean?
It means you’re ready to go pro.

For those tailgaters who are ready to take their game up a notch without spending endless hours tinkering when they could be tailgating comes the ultimate in tailgating accessories: the tailgate trailer. Several companies are offering their version of what amounts to a party on wheels: a dedicated tailgating trailer custom-designed with the needs of the die-hard fan in mind. Long Beach, California’s Gameday Customs (www.gamedaycustoms.com), for instance, takes a standard 5x8 utility trailer and converts it into a game-day masterpiece, with a 26” LCD TV screen with satellite and a CD/DVD player, 10 gallons of fresh water with taps, a draft beer system, and a 1000-watt generator to power it all. It even comes with a toilet so you don’t have to search for the nearest porta-potty! The trailer is built with a concession door in the side that swings up to give access to the bar and TV/satellite system inside for easy viewing and drinking.

Similarly, Tailgate Trailers (www.tailgatetrailers.com) comes packed with the essentials: an LCD flat screen TV, stainless steel refrigerator, stainless steel microwave, cup dispenser, track lighting, 1000 watt home theater system, a draft beer system, and of course, a toilet. These trailers come in different sizes and are upgradable to include a half bath, satellite dish, and awning to keep the crowd that will gather around your trailer in the shade. A concession door swings up and a stainless steel shelf swings out to reveal a bar-away-from home, stocked will all your favorite beverages. All the items stow neatly inside the trailer for easy travel, accessible by retractable stairs. There’s even room inside the trailer for a fold-down bed for when you don’t have to go into work Monday morning.

The All Star Tailgating Corporation’s (www.ultimatetailgator.com) version of the Ultimate Tailgating Trailer is a bit more tricked-out with a 60” LCD TV, a satellite recorder, a 160 quart ice chest with beer and soda taps, a cooling plate, a built-in grill, a Kegerator, refrigerator/freezer, another 20” TV, a video gaming system, generator, and places to stow it all, along with the de-rigeur toilet. Instead of the side having a concession door that swings upwards to reveal the TV/bar, All Star’s trailer locates its mammoth TV at the back of the trailer and puts the grill in the inside, accessed through the concession door.

The folks at Tailgater Party Trailers (www.tailgaterpartytrailers.com) have a different approach to their tailgating trailer. They’ve taken a 16’ trailer and chopped the top off of it to make a completely self-contained, rolling party. It looks like a pontoon boat on wheels with comfy padded seats around the back end with enough room to seat 8 and a kitchen up front. There’s plenty of counter space for fixing the game-day food, and each trailer comes with a gas grill, a beverage tap, a 7 gallon fresh water system, CD stereo system, and a canopy over the seating area.

Of course, if you think that plunking down all that cash for a trailer that has only one function is a bit silly, you can go all out and buy a Newmar (www.newmarcorp.com). These babies are the skyboxes of the trailer world: when you’re in one you forget you’re standing in something with wheels. Instead, you feel like you’re in someone’s brand-new luxury apartment (should you take off your shoes?) Newmar makes 15 high-end RVs, ranging from cozy “Fifth Wheel” trailers to full-blown busses you’ve seen your favorite heavy metal band touring in. With sofas, beds, marble countertops, hardwood cabinets, separate bedrooms, full bathrooms, and the latest appliances, there’s no reason to go back home after the game- you and your family and friends could just stay put, comfy and cozy, until the next game rolls around. Newmars are a serious investment, but having one would definitely secure your place in the bragging rights hall of fame.

Whatever your choice, if you want to see your tailgating buddies’ jaws hit the Astro-turf, pull up to the next game with a tailgating trailer in tow. Don’t forget to invite us, either!