The Tailgating Monster
05/08
We enjoy tailgating so much we had to build a vehicle that could live
up to great people we meet ever year.
The Tailgating Monster began its life as a 1995 International School
bus. It has a DT466 diesel engine. (Of course, we've cranked up the
fuel pressure slightly to compensate for all the added weight.) The
transmission is an Allison automatic, nice for those long trips to
the track. The body was a Carpenter, with extended height interior.
Inside, we have outfitted The Tailgating Monster with all the
comforts of home. It has a large freshwater supply onboard, sink,
stove, fridge, microwave, a 40,000 btu forced-air heater, flat screen
television, interior beer tap, full-size shower, and of course, a
toilet (ever used a porta-potty after four days of camping at a
NASCAR event?) We have seating for around twelve people, and a
"Monster Kegerator" that holds four kegs on ice for a week. The
ceiling is done entirely in black leather. And, we utilized the
escape hatch to allow access to the 36' rooftop deck.
The deck is Correct Deck composite decking built right here in Maine.
That stuff really takes a beating, and still looks like new after
washing it down, even after a long week of tailgating! It sits on a
p.t. 2x6 subframe, resting on custom aluminum brackets that match the
contour of the roofline. The railings are on stainless steel hinges
that allow the rails to fold flat for travel down the road. The
exterior is a combination of polished diamond plate aluminum and flat
aluminum panels that sit on a subframe of 1 1/2" wide aluminum rails
that cover the exterior like a skeleton (864 total pieces - that spec
took a few beers to come up with.) The panels are held in place with
only 3M VHB tape. Yes that's right, tape!
Our friends at Shipyard Brewing in Portland helped us install the
tap lines on the exterior, bringing our tap-total to four - three
outside and one inside.
The sound system on the bus is something to behold. Sanford Sound
installed the system in just under two days, which includes Sirius, a
wireless PA, hookups for a live band to perform on the roof, rooftop
speakers, and enough power to implode your ear drums. We even have a
big movie screen that attaches to the railings for outdoor viewing.
The bus in its current state weighs in around 40,000 pounds, 44 feet
long and 16 feet tall, with railings up. It gets a whopping 4.7
miles to the gallon. It can cruise at around 65 miles per hour and
has a range of around 200 miles.
We take the bus to Loudon, NH every year for the NASCAR race and
we'd love to meet you all there. Just ask anyone in security and
they will direct you to us! We also do several charity events, car
shows, Patriots games, Buffet shows, and fundraisers with the bus
throughout the year. We held a tailgate party last year at the Maine
Mall and had a live feed to Iraq with the troops and their families
so they could see and hear each other on the big screen on top. It
was a great party, with over 40,000 people in the parking lot.
We have created the ultimate "Tailgating Monster Bus" and you can
read and see more about it on our website, tailgatingmonster.com
