Tailgating Bus Fully Loaded For Fun

2013 - Volume #37, Issue #1, Page #44

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

This tailgating party bus is like a Transformer toy. Driving down the highway, it looks like an ordinary schoolbus. But after you park it, the top lifts up, the sides flip open, and the back end turns into a tailgater’s paradise – in just 45 seconds.
    When it first debuted last fall at the 12th Man parking lot at Texas A&M University before a football game against LSU, neighbors in $1 million motor homes rolled their eyes as the “redneck” bus pulled in. That changed when Jonathan Hinze hit the hydraulics. Within minutes, fans swarmed around the “Cuz We Can” bus to check out the fully-loaded tailgater that’s complete with three flat screen TV’s (including a 54-in. model on the side), surround sound stereo, swing-out gas grill, margarita machine, fish fryer, microwave, popcorn popper with homemade butter dispenser, and even a toilet and shower. The interior has limo style seating, laser lighting and a smoke machine. With a pull on a quiet Honda generator, everything is powered up and ready to go, no matter where the bus is parked.
    The bus’s building crew admits that adult beverages helped loosen their creativity muscles in building it. But the tailgate bus also required plenty of after hours’ work, beefing up and attention to detail.
    “No one person can take the credit for building and designing. There were a lot of local people with good ideas who helped us out greatly,” Hinze says. He added with a laugh that no one wanted it licensed in their name so they created an LLC for it. They licensed it as a motor home under “Cuz We Can,” which is the typical response they give when people ask why they created it.
    The idea to have a bus for tailgating came up when one of the “crewmember’s” sons started at Texas A&M. In November 2011, the friends found a good deal on a 1997 International 77-passenger Thomas bus, and the torching, welding and retrofitting began in Hinze’s farm shop. After removing the seats and welding a crack in the frame, they cut and beefed up the walls in the back half, made hinges out of black pipe, cold roll steel and flat steel straps and installed 10 hydraulic cylinders, recycled mostly from old farm equipment, that are connected to a pump and reservoir off a combine and a backhoe control valves.
    The crew installed storage cabinets in the bus’s midsection along with a toilet and shower over the wheel wells. Benches along the sides seat about 10 people – within guidelines to license the bus as a motor home. They modified some of the original seats into stadium seating for use outside the bus.
    Using skills from farming, welding and construction backgrounds, the friends fabricated a two-burner cook top and a swivel arm for the grill. They used a tailgate latch to lift and lower steps. A Deere planter box hides a garbage disposal that crushes ice for the margarita machine.
     The accessory that draws the most attention, however, is the inconspicuous can-smashing front bumper.
    “It’s made out of a cotton stalk puller tube with a hydraulic cylinder. You drop in beer cans, and it crushes them. You can do about 450 cans before you have to empty it,” Hinze says.
    He points out that besides the fun stuff there are plenty of safety features including handrails, lockouts and fire extinguishers. Besides taking the bus to games, the friends use it for competing in cook offs.
    Hinze says the building crew will gladly advise other tailgate bus designers, but there’s one question they won’t answer. “All of our wives teach together, and we simply can’t disclose what it cost,” Hinze says. “We don’t want any divorces.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jonathan Hinze, P.O. Box 417, Orange Grove, Texas 78372 (hinzej@stictx.com).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

Tailgating Bus Fully Loaded For Fun FARM HOME Miscellaneous This tailgating party bus is like a Transformer toy Driving down the highway it looks like an ordinary schoolbus But after you park it the top lifts up the sides flip open and the back end turns into a tailgater’s paradise – in just 45 seconds When it first debuted last fall at the 12th Man parking lot at Texas A&M University before a football game against LSU neighbors in $1 million motor homes rolled their eyes as the “redneck” bus pulled in That changed when Jonathan Hinze hit the hydraulics Within minutes fans swarmed around the “Cuz We Can” bus to check out the fully-loaded tailgater that’s complete with three flat screen TV’s including a 54-in model on the side surround sound stereo swing-out gas grill margarita machine fish fryer microwave popcorn popper with homemade butter dispenser and even a toilet and shower The interior has limo style seating laser lighting and a smoke machine With a pull on a quiet Honda generator everything is powered up and ready to go no matter where the bus is parked The bus’s building crew admits that adult beverages helped loosen their creativity muscles in building it But the tailgate bus also required plenty of after hours’ work beefing up and attention to detail “No one person can take the credit for building and designing There were a lot of local people with good ideas who helped us out greatly ” Hinze says He added with a laugh that no one wanted it licensed in their name so they created an LLC for it They licensed it as a motor home under “Cuz We Can ” which is the typical response they give when people ask why they created it The idea to have a bus for tailgating came up when one of the “crewmember’s” sons started at Texas A&M In November 2011 the friends found a good deal on a 1997 International 77-passenger Thomas bus and the torching welding and retrofitting began in Hinze’s farm shop After removing the seats and welding a crack in the frame they cut and beefed up the walls in the back half made hinges out of black pipe cold roll steel and flat steel straps and installed 10 hydraulic cylinders recycled mostly from old farm equipment that are connected to a pump and reservoir off a combine and a backhoe control valves The crew installed storage cabinets in the bus’s midsection along with a toilet and shower over the wheel wells Benches along the sides seat about 10 people – within guidelines to license the bus as a motor home They modified some of the original seats into stadium seating for use outside the bus Using skills from farming welding and construction backgrounds the friends fabricated a two-burner cook top and a swivel arm for the grill They used a tailgate latch to lift and lower steps A Deere planter box hides a garbage disposal that crushes ice for the margarita machine The accessory that draws the most attention however is the inconspicuous can-smashing front bumper “It’s made out of a cotton stalk puller tube with a hydraulic cylinder You drop in beer cans and it crushes them You can do about 450 cans before you have to empty it ” Hinze says He points out that besides the fun stuff there are plenty of safety features including handrails lockouts and fire extinguishers Besides taking the bus to games the friends use it for competing in cook offs Hinze says the building crew will gladly advise other tailgate bus designers but there’s one question they won’t answer “All of our wives teach together and we simply can’t disclose what it cost ” Hinze says “We don’t want any divorces ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jonathan Hinze P O Box 417 Orange Grove Texas 78372 hinzej@stictx com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW