Mailbag: Customized Tailgating Gear On The Cheap

TCU Custom Grill Yesterday I received an email from Neil, a regular reader of TailgatingIdeas.com and an avid TCU fan and tailgater. He shared with me his love for tailgating but also his frustration that his school is not represented well when it comes to collegiate licenced tailgating gear. Either out of frustration or desperation, Neil discovered ways to customize either his existing tailgating equipment or to customize new stuff while keeping it very affordable. Showing off his Horned Frog pride and spirit was a high priority for him and he wanted to share an online photo album of all the tailgating gear he has customized with TCU and Horned Frog logos and emblems. Here is his email:

Hey Dave,

I’ve been following tailgating ideas for over a year now. Being really new to tailgating, a Google search brought me to your site and it’s a regular visit on my tour around the ‘net.

Anyways, wanted to thank you for all the product suggestions and ideas. It’s really going to help make my tailgate a success.

I am an alum of TCU and with our growing success, tailgates have gotten bigger and bigger. It’s really fun being part of a growing team. One problem is that there’s not a whole lot of available merchandise out there for the Frogs (hint hint for the tailgating ideas store…hey can’t blame me for trying). Anyways, I happened to have a vinyl cutter and some ideas from your site and did some “upgrades” to my truck, my seating and my Freedom Grill. I couldn’t have done it without you and your site. I saw your San Diego Chargers grill and had to customize mine. You got me thinking after I customized the grill… why stop there?

Here’s a link to my album of the stuff I’ve done to get ready for the tailgate. I also tricked out some cheap BBQ tools with college logos and some cheap IKEA chairs in Horned Frog style. It’s tailgating in style on the cheap. I figure if I can’t find the gear I wanted… I’d make it.

Flickr Photo Album

Thanks again and looking forward to a great tailgating season

Neil
Arlington, Teaxs

I responded to Neil’s email asking him if he would share some of his tailgating ideas and hints and tips on how exactly he does the DIY customization of his tailgating gear. Keep an eye out for those instructions in a later post.