RV Tailgating Is a Blast!

By Toni Davis

It’s that time of the year again when the football season has begun and the opportunities for RV tailgating are abundant. However, you don’t have to be at a sports event to have an incredibly fun tailgating experience. RV rallies, air shows and ski resorts are perfect places to “bring your home to the event.”

In fact, there is so much fun to be had RV tailgating, the benefits seem to be endless. You’re surrounded by food and friends, imbibing your favorite beverages, and having hearty discussions about the sports and news of the day. What’s not to love? This is your chance to revel in what truly is a good old American pastime, RV-style.

First and foremost, having an on-board generator gives you the “power to party,” day or night, in parking lots or at rallies where there are no hookups available.

One of the cardinal rules of successful RV tailgating is to come early and stay late. Some people even come one or two days in advance of the event. We call them the “mood-setters.” They get the best parking spots and get to enjoy watching the rest of the fans and attendees arrive, while relaxing in front of their RVs.

Needless to say, the joys of avoiding traffic jams, scarce hotel reservations or crowded restaurants add immensely to the RV tailgating experience. Standing in line for endless hours at over-priced concession stands to get inferior food is also easily avoided by tailgating in an RV.

We firmly believe that bringing our own food and preparing it on-site has saved us countless dollars, as well as allowing us to cook to our heart’s desire. We use the onboard microwave, oven/stove, and refrigerator to whip up our favorite hors d’oeuvres and entrees with the freshest of ingredients. We also bring along a blender for margaritas and a food processor for chopping vegetables to help simplify and enhance our tailgating dining experience. Having the ability to barbeque our fish, meat or vegetables also allows us to chitchat and visit with our neighbors during the event. To avoid being rushed, we make it a habit to have the main meal ready at least two hours before any event to allow plenty of time to eat and mingle. We do as much as we can before we arrive on the scene. In fact, being able to leisurely prepare and eat a meal with old and new friends makes the RV tailgating experience more than an event—it’s a happening.

Have you ever experienced a heavy rain or snowstorm while attending an event? Well, we have and it’s no fun if you don’t have access to an RV. Having an RV allows you the luxury of taking cover in a dry, warm place to finish watching the game or just enjoying the camaraderie of your friends. No matter what, dressing in layers and bringing a spare coat or sweater is always a good idea. In advance of the event, we make it a point to log onto www.weather.com for the up-to-date forecast of the day. But with today’s RVs offering slideouts, there is much more interior living room to accommodate your party mates if the weather worsens. And since not everyone has an RV, you can be sure to make lots of new friends with a fully equipped bathroom on board, rain or shine.

One final rule of RV tailgating is to leave a good lasting impression. We always bring plenty of trash bags and take them with us when we leave, making sure to pick up all the debris that may have accumulated during the event. It gives the promoters a good feeling when the attendees act responsibly. After all, it’s not whose team won the event, it’s how we played the game of RV tailgating.

Check out www.GoRVing.com/recipes.cfm to see a delicious array of recipes suitable for tailgating and then hit the road!!