Tailgating in Your RV
With football season underway, many opportunities arise to hold your own tailgating parties, which let you enjoy the game while enjoying friends, family, and food. If you’ve done this before, you probably have started to form a pretty steady game plan. But if this is your first time, you might be at a loss as to where to start or what to expect. Sumner RV has provided some helpful tips to get you started and what to keep in mind. If you find you need supplies or need to get your RV checked out before your first tailgate, stop by our locations in Sumner and Poulsbo, Washington. We also serve Seattle, Silverdale, Bremerton, Olympia, Kent, Renton, and Tacoma.
Food First
A good tailgating party is nothing without the right food and plenty of it. Take into account how long your guests will be there. You’ll need to provide enough meals and in between snacks to satisfy them. That means if your party is going to last from morning until night, you’re going to have to make sure you have enough food to last your guests all day.
Burgers and hot dogs are fine, but if you really want to leave an impression, you’ll want to step things up a notch. Smoked meats and fun treats are a sure way of getting the best tailgating reputation. Poke around for inventive ways to spice up your party menu and your guests will surely thank you for it.
No matter what you decide to serve, make sure you take preparation time into account. Many types of meat take hours to cook and some food might have other prep needs. You want to make sure you know how much cooking prep you’ll need to do. You don’t want to be caught off guard and not have any food to serve your guests.
What to Drink
And with all that food, you’ll want to make sure you have enough drinks for everyone. Provide a wide variety of drinks to satisfy as many palettes as you can. This should include juice, soda, and plenty of water. Alcohol can also be a fun party drink, but be smart about your consumption and make sure the facilities you’ll be tailgating at allow alcohol on their premises. If you do serve alcohol, then be doubly sure you have lots of water for everyone, especially if it’s going to be hot. Keeping everyone hydrated should be your first priority to keep morale and health up.
Stay Safe
While no doubt you’ll be preoccupied with having a good time, you do want to prepare for possible emergency situations should they arise. As with any event involving cooking, you’ll want to make fire safety a priority. Check your alarms and fire extinguisher to make sure they’re up to date and working. You’ll also probably be in a cramped parking lot which creates its own safety concerns. Try to park close to a grassy area to let you spread out, stay safe, and relaxed.
And consider bringing an extra canopy and sunblock for sunny days. Sunburns and heat exhaustion don’t make for healthier and happier guests. Also bring extra blankets and rain gear if it’s going to be cold and wet, for all the same reasons.
Tips and Tricks
There are a few extra words of wisdom we can pass on to you. Firstly, consider doing a potluck style party. This will take a lot of the food responsibility off of you and most likely liven up the variety of dishes. Just remember you’ll need to provide the cups, napkins, plates, and utensils. And if you’d like to attract as many people as possible, take to social media. You’d be surprised just how effective it can be to announce your party on Facebook.
These are our basic recommendations for a fun, safe tailgating party, but we’ve probably forgotten a thing or two. Don’t forget this is your party and you should host it however you want. Include fun decorations or games or bring along extra supplies we didn’t mention. Whatever you think will help you and your guests have a fun time. And don’t forget to get your RV checked ahead of time in case something needs repairing. Bring it by Sumner RV for maintenance and friendly chats with our experienced staff about their own tips and tricks for tailgating. We’re in Sumner and Poulsbo, Washington. We also serve Seattle, Olympia, Kent, Renton, Tacoma, Silverdale, and Bremerton.