as far as the inverter, it is just math. Look at each component and figure out the power consumption. You can then figure out what inverter you need and how long your battery will last. I added a second deep cycle battery(120Ah) just for this application. Im still putting the whole thing together, but if my calculations are right and I can wire it without catching the van on fire I should be good. I also have a 3rd battery(44Ah) i will bring out in case the second battery dies.

I agree that the TV may not be useful for the thursday games, but if i got a van for tailgating I am going to have a fucking TV in it



[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 12:21 PM. Reason : ;]

8/17/2010 12:21:03 PM

^ that post right there is why NC State tailgates are awesome and UNC tailgates suck. The UNC people at least get some shade though for the hot games in the parking deck.

8/17/2010 12:43:23 PM

^^ Good work

I want to tailgate with you

8/17/2010 12:46:33 PM

Quote :

"But only shit games are usually on there...they should take a page from MLB and have the full ESPN gameplan and NFL sunday ticket packages available online."

ESPN3 is pretty much the full ESPN gameplan and has been for a few years.

8/17/2010 1:09:43 PM

Quote :

"i also just purchased the BACtrack S75 Pro breathalyzer. a good investment for those who want to avoid the DUI in football season. plus, you can verify that your DD is ok to drive."

Excellent call. This prompted me to go find a breathalyzer... too many close calls over the last couple of seasons of football and hockey. I got the same model, anything cheaper seemed like it was too unreliable.

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 1:34 PM. Reason : ee]

8/17/2010 1:34:13 PM

Ribs, you are more than welcome to tailgate with me. Just bring some Budweiser.

I also have the shade covered. Got a giant screened tent that will cover over the end of the van where the tv will be mounted as well as an awning off the side of the van.

8/17/2010 1:54:33 PM

^ r u going to paint that van white and turn that brown stripe red?

i think its a MUST.

8/17/2010 2:04:26 PM

There has been talk of a roller style paint job, but that will require the help of a lot of friends to do all of the sanding and prep. I doubt that anybody wants to spend a summer afternoon wet sanding a 78 ford van. I know that i dont.

I imagine that even a maaco paint job will be more money than i would like to spend, but you never know.

8/17/2010 3:15:42 PM

'78? Do a shitty spray-paint job.

8/17/2010 3:30:41 PM

you know how much spray paint it would take to cover a 19 foot van? A few estimates i have seen suggest 30-40 cans at $3-4 of spray paint to complete the job. It would still require a lot of work to use spray paint.

The only way i will be painting it myself is if i can procure about 10 volunteers to help with all of the prep and sanding and work. no way in hell am i going to do it myself.

8/17/2010 3:44:40 PM

Stop complaining. Just get one of those Wagner power painters and go apeshit.

8/17/2010 3:45:53 PM

I wish it was that easy.

8/17/2010 3:49:12 PM

Getting pumped.

[Edited on August 18, 2010 at 12:18 PM. Reason : www]

8/18/2010 12:12:12 PM

ahh those were the days... being able to have kegs...

8/18/2010 2:34:48 PM

I remember hearing a story about how the Cleveland Browns Dawg Pound group snuck a keg into a game by having it in a dog house.

8/18/2010 3:14:04 PM

^^ you can have a keg at Carolina Hurricanes games, or at least they've never said we couldn't. i believe that is where steviewonder's picture is from.

8/18/2010 3:31:24 PM

you can have a keg at state games. just stick it in the trunk or put up a shield. who cares.

8/18/2010 3:58:29 PM

We had a keg for 2 games...just kept it in the backseat of a dude's suburban and just had the tap hanging over the trunk so you could reach in and access the pump without being too obvious

Worked well the first time...second time two dudes got shithammered and tried to do some World's Strongest Man type shit with the keg still 2/3 full

8/18/2010 4:02:33 PM

why wouldnt you be able to have a keg as long as you're >= 21 years old??

8/18/2010 4:07:51 PM

duh, because drinking beer from a keg makes you more likely to shoot people in the lot, as opposed to drinking it out of a can, or drinking liquor

8/18/2010 4:09:17 PM

First beer to be cracked in 10 days, 2 hours, 8 mins

8/25/2010 10:52:43 AM

^why not crack one now? I'm trying to have a seat at the table. STARTING DEFENSE! WHOOO!

8/25/2010 12:31:01 PM

Technically liquor is not allowed in the tailgate lots either.

8/25/2010 12:37:57 PM

just picked up 2 tailgate chairs from Dicks....freakin $5 a piece. if u need some chairs, cant beat it. red and black ones.

they say "Dick's" on the back, but everybody already knew that about the people i tailgate with anyways.

8/25/2010 1:24:56 PM

bttt. 4 DAYS BITCHES!

8/31/2010 9:30:57 AM

bringing my Weber Q300

can't wait to take it off the cart and use it out in the field!

[Edited on August 31, 2010 at 9:51 AM. Reason : 300]

8/31/2010 9:51:07 AM

^ i have that same grill...i think mine is the Q220. its phenomenal, and i've got it on the tailgate stand/cart thing too. that reminds me that i need to clean it and prepare for the cornish gamehens that will be sizzling come 1:00 saturday.

8/31/2010 9:52:58 AM

i love the fact that you can use a Coleman tank with it

that's what sealed the deal

8/31/2010 9:57:02 AM

hmmm what beer to get. keystone, busch light, or bud heavy?

8/31/2010 7:02:29 PM

I went with keystone. If it was UNC or a bigger game, I would need the extra ABV and definitely go with bud.

However, I did grab a deuce quad of Bud Ice for the walk over from the lots.

8/31/2010 9:42:44 PM

cases of Yuengling, Bud, Miller and Coors are $12.75 at Teeter this week

ShopSavvy tells me that's the best deal in town

9/1/2010 10:00:43 AM

What is everyone planning on cooking Saturday? post your recipes!

9/1/2010 10:08:47 AM

I can't decide. I was going to do a pork shoulder Friday night and time it so that it would be ready for chopping around 2 or 3pm.

But I think I might just do some ribs. I get a lot of funny looks when I make these, but they are fantastic and might be the most tender ribs I have ever eaten.

Country-Style Pork Ribs
-----------------------
Ingredients:
-Pack of CS Pork Ribs. Try to get a pack with more bone-in pieces.
-Dales or similar soy-sauce based marinade
-1/2 onion
-Your favorite Barbecue sauce, I like Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle

Steps:
-Rinse the ribs and trim off any super-excess fat.
-Get a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the ribs.
-Add 1/2 bottle of Dale's and onion, cut into big chunks. Bring to boil
-Toss in the ribs, they can be seasoned with your favorite rub ahead of time
-Boil 1 hour on medium, stirring them up occasionally. Remove from heat and let them sit in the mixture another 30 minutes.
-Let cool and bag them up for the lots.

At the lot:
-Fire up the grill and throw the ribs on, heating them up.
-Add your BBQ sauce until it just starts to cook.

These ribs kick ass. It seems sacrilege to boil pork, but damn these are good and most of the work is done the night before. Plus CS ribs are usually really cheap. You can also skim the boiling mixture after it cools, and its a tasty au jus.

I will probably bring another hunk of meat to cook for the after-game hanging out.

Tailgating is literally my favorite thing to do, getting pumped.

[Edited on September 1, 2010 at 10:27 AM. Reason : ss]

9/1/2010 10:25:54 AM

^ that is a kickass recipe and thats how i do my ribs too. i boil them for about 1.5hrs with 2 cans of beer, garlic, salt & pepper, then let them sit like you do. Glaze them before you throw em on the grill and leave em on long enough for the sugar to caramelize on top of them. the meat literally falls off the bone.

and now im hungry lol.

9/1/2010 10:45:34 AM

This is the first year we are going to try and bring out a tv to pick the local station's games. Looks like there are only 3 games we could pick up (2 at 3:30 and the UNC-LSU game at 8). Wish I could get more without having a dish at the lot.

9/1/2010 12:37:16 PM

[Edited on September 2, 2010 at 11:37 AM. Reason : cold beer]

9/2/2010 11:31:45 AM

^huge huge cocktease.

9/2/2010 3:02:47 PM

so i plan on getting out to CF as soon as possible, and i, too, would like to catch the early games while i drink

im not getting a tv or anything like that, but what is the etiquette of crashing someone's tailgate who has a tv going? come bearing liquor?

9/2/2010 5:50:29 PM

I'd say liquor wold work.

Personally, I wouldn't give a shit if someone walked up and wanted to hang out and watch TV. If they started consuming all my provisions, I might not like it, but then again, I probably still wouldnt care as long as they left my beer alone.

9/2/2010 5:52:41 PM

what time are you allowed to start tailgating? Are the lots still closed until 5 hours before kickoff?

9/3/2010 11:31:06 AM

propane grills are allowed, right?

i thought i remembered the nazis prohibiting propane around the same time they did away with kegs and firearms

9/3/2010 11:40:26 AM

^^ Yep, 1pm

^ I don't think its a rule. I haven't had any issues with my propane tanks out there.

9/3/2010 11:48:14 AM

the "rule" is 5 hours but I usually have no problem getting in the lots 30-45 min before the "start" of the tailgate

9/3/2010 11:54:20 AM

OH GOD, ITS TODAY

9/4/2010 8:29:04 AM

OH, IT'S TODAY, GOD!!!

9/4/2010 8:40:55 AM

chicken's marinaded. ready for the kabob.

9/4/2010 9:51:12 AM

Ribs cooked, ham packed, beer in the cooler, cornhole boards loaded, TV packed...

Time for a pre-tailgate beer, then rollin out.

The UNC game seems like forever ago

[Edited on September 4, 2010 at 10:49 AM. Reason : Grill loaded too. ]

9/4/2010 10:48:29 AM

OH TODAY, IT'S GOD!!!

9/4/2010 10:54:03 AM

wait wait wait...

you're saying i can't bring my guns to the tailgate today?? WTF YOW -1

9/4/2010 10:59:33 AM

NO ONE READS THIS

9/4/2010 11:27:18 AM