The ATM: Ames Tailgate Machine

Check out the The ATM: Ames Tailgate Machine owned by Aaron Nelson. Here's his story:

I started to attend Iowa State Cyclones games in Ames, Iowa starting in 2007.  The first year was just going up with some buddies just to sit in the parking lot and tailgate.  In 2008, I attended my first ISU game and I was hooked after that.  In 2009, I became a season ticket holder and went to every game.  Everything was great until one game day, after an ISU win against Baylor, someone borrowed with the intent of not returning our cooler that was in the back of my buddy’s truck.  On the way home, I decided that I would look to find vehicle that would stop this from happening.  I looked at buses, RV’s, and box trucks that would be able to be locked with all of our gear inside.  Then I saw someone driving around with a used ambulance and that is when I knew I found what I was looking for.  After a few years of saving (and a lot of jokes from my buddies saying that I was never going to pull the trigger on buying an ambulance), I finally had enough to pursue my idea. 

After doing some searching over 9 Mid-West states, I was able to find this gem sitting in Tripp, SD.   On February 29th, 2013, the Ames Tailgate Machine (or ATM for short) was purchased and it has been fun ever since.  The ATM is a 1992 E350 Ambulance that was still in service the day that I purchased it. Once purchased, there were a few mechanical updates that had to be made. For the 2012 season, I added ISU stickers from Skin-It to get me through the year as I also had a purchase the necessary equipment to make any tailgate fun.  It is now equipped with a 32” LED TV, mobile satellite, four 7” marine speakers mounted to the back doors (thanks to Ford and Garland in Des Moines), stereo receiver, two 25 ft tall flag poles, portable grill, 10x10 ft tent, Coors Light LED sign, and the best part, a stretcher with an IV pole to hang the Cy-V from (this is a bad full of adult beverage goodness that I call Cy-Juice).  I also have a rotating food menu so that we are not eating the same thing twice in a given football year.  The favorite food day so far is when we make the ATM sandwich.  The ATM sandwich is a fried tenderloin, topped with smoked pork, topped with smoked ham, queso cheese, and BBQ sauce with a side of bacon wrapped tator-tots. 

2012 was a great first season for the ATM but the 2013 with be even better.  Over the summer, I had purchased an ISU designed wrap to cover up the old blue and gray stripes from its past with cardinal and gold colors.  I have replaced the cheaper Skin-It stickers with the new vinyl wrap. I have installed astro-turf carpet in the back of the ambulance.  I have a few other ideas in mind (new interior, bigger tv, etcc.) but those will have to be looked at next off season.  On any given game day, there will be anywhere from 3 to 30 people attending a tailgate so if you are in Ames on game day, stop by and visit us in the Vet Med parking lot and you might just get a custom ATM koozie.  You can also like the Ames Tailgate Machine on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AmesTailgateMachine) to view past tailgating photos and know more about future events. 

Follow TailgateLot on Twitter and Facebook for up to date information.
Know of a great tailgating crew or tailgating rig?  Please let us know and Submit a Story!

Double Feature of Oklahoma Sooner Tailgating Machines

Feature 1: Check out this old Greyhound bus found in Oklahoma by Gameday Rivals.

Feature 2: Gameday Rivals also found a 1940's era fire truck, re-purposed as an ultimate Sooners tailgate ride.

TailgateWiki: Keeping Tailgaters Informed

With all the “wiki’s” popping up online, you knew it was only a matter of time before there was one developed on our favorite subject: tailgating. Introducing TailgateWiki.com! It was developed loosely on the concept of Wikipedia, where everyone is an expert on something. The thousands of tailgaters that flock to stadiums all across the country are experts when it comes to their local stadium, tailgating rules, traditions, and hidden hints that only those that tailgate regularly know.

TailgateWiki.com is a place to share that information to not only “pay it forward” for your fellow hometown tailgaters, but for visiting fans alike. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to follow your team on the road, and still tailgate like you were at your home stadium? Rather than spending hours of research trying to find the right information on when gates open, if you could use charcoal, or what items are banned in the parking lot, you now have a one-stop-shop, where all that information is stored. TailgateWiki.com was started a few months ago, and some team pages are chock full of great information and insider tips. Check out a sample tailgate at the Chargers Tailgate Page.

You even can earn achievement badges based on your activity and how many pages you update. So get over to TailgateWiki.com, and start adding what you know.

7 Days 'Til College Football Kicks Off

That's right! Only 7 days left until college football kicks off again! Nothing like a "biggest hits" vid to get everyone back into the swing of things.

The Gater Tail - Portable Bar and Refreshment Stand

The Gator Tail is not just another all-in-one tailgating solution. This single axel trailer is an actual portable bar that can be hauled to any tailgate location. Features include an onboard grill with 5 burners, trays to ice down 5 cases of beer, 12V power, air compressor, and a 250-watt Pioneer surround sound system. The best part is that the unit can fit in your garage when not in use. You may remember that we featured the creators of this tailgate machine back before they won the 2009 PepsiMax Maxiumum Tailgating Gadget Award, and if you want to check more of their work, visit them at PortableEvents.com.

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Kansas

Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse earned No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, and landed in that order in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll of the regular season.

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: BCS Edition

Alabama’s dominate performance over Florida on Saturday sent them into a Battle Royale with Texas on January 7th. This will be a helluva battle on the field as well as off of it, as it pits together two tailgating powerhouses!

The Iowa State Cyclones Tailgate Van

Charley Bogwill and Jeff Burdick's passion for tailgating was evident way before the idea to build a tailgate van came along. They have been hosting tailgates for many years, which have included items such as gas-powered blenders, tents with construction heaters (for the ladies, of course), custom ISU helmet hitch-mounted grill, and an ISU Scoreboard replica portable bar with TV and running water! These are not your average tailgaters.

Click to read more ...

Jim Knox Takes a Spill Off a Texas Tailgating Bus

I have to give credit to Gameday Rivals for even posting their boy Jim Knox taking a dive off this Texas tailgate bus.

World's Longest Basketball Shot

I'm not sure if this is actually the longest shot or not. I don't even know if this is real or fake. I do know that for every 100,000 views they receive, the guys will sponsor an impoverished child through an organization called Compassion International. Check them out if you get a chance at http://www.dudeperfect.com/.