Tailgating, UCLA Style: Makeover My Ride

I’m almost a week off Bruin Viewin’, a very cool event for season ticket holders that takes place every July. They let you on the field at the Rose Bowl to watch a movie, visit the locker room, and interact with players on a more personal level. It’s a small crowd and nothing like the spring game, so you really get up close access. Setting foot on such hallowed ground only made me miss football more.

If you can trace your tailgating days back to the Zumwalt years (and there were two of them, by the way), you may have seen their, if I may say, pretty bad ass motor home parked near Lot H. This thing had beer taps on the outside, a sound system, a BBQ, and crazy UCLA graphics all over the outside. If you go back even further, you may remember a school bus that used to park on the golf course, with a deck on top for Bruin fans to soak up the sun before each game.

Ever heard of Nick Saban’s customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter? You have to check thing thing out. I’m not sure I could bring myself to tailgate in it, though. I think I’d be yelling at everyone to take their shoes off and not touch anything. But, then again, Saban has more disposable income than I do and can easily have someone clean it for him.

Modified tailgating vehicles are nothing new. There are even businesses that specializes in creating custom rides for your pre-game experience, including both full size cars and trailers. Here are a few of my favorites, and a decent number involve school buses. Thank you to Paste Magazine for the images.

1. The cooler embedded into the bed of a truck:

Paste Magazine

As an organizational freak, this screams “MORE SPACE!” to me. With the cooler out of the way, there’s so much room for activities!

2. The Florida Gators modified school bus

Paste Magazine

This one has been all over T.V., but is still one of my favorites. I’m pretty sure the owners are just rabid fans, and take their tailgating very seriously. That back porch would be awesome on a hot Pasadena day.

3. Trunk grill

Paste Magazine

This gives “junk in the trunk” a whole new meaning. Your entire trunk is now grill space, and big props for the creative license plate.

4. The Philadelphia Eagles school bus

Paste Magazine

Judging by the T.V. that’s on the outside, I’d say this picture is a bit dated, but the T.V. on the outside is awesome nonetheless. You’ve also got a rooftop deck with an umbrella, and every window has the Eagles’ logo.

5. Delorean style school bus

Paste Magazine

This Back to the Future style tailgating bus has not one, but two T.V.’s on the outside, and it looks like there may be a smoker under one of the wings.

6. I don’t even know what this is.

Paste Magazine

If I saw this thing on the 405, I’d say there had been a nasty pileup and a VW bus ended up on top of a school bus. But no, we just have one hell of a hybrid vehicle here, where school bus-meets VW bus-meets pop out camper.

Maybe you’ve got your creative juices flowing and we’ll see you all tricked out on the golf course come September. Just remember to be safe when you’re welding.

44 days until kickoff.

Go Bruins!