Summer is upon us and it will soon be time to fire up the grills and enjoy sitting out on the patio. In honor of summer barbecues and enjoying time out in the great outdoors, I've built my own customized version of the Ryobi Party Station. Ryobi is challenging DIY'ers to make the standard version of the party station and to add unique features. So….. I did!
In this article I will give a brief overview of the project. For the complete plans head over to Ryobi Nation! Please note some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means that by clicking on them and purchasing tools you are helping support DIY Projects with Pete. Thanks for your support!
The project started out with a trip to The Home Depot. I picked up cedar boards for the project.
The first part of the project requires making the cuts.
Here are all the cut boards for the standard version of the Ryobi Nation Party Station.
Customizations –Â Chrome Wheels
The first customization was to upgrade from the plastic lawn mower wheels to all out 15 inch tires with 8″ chrome wheels. I purchased the two tires at Home Depot for about $35 per tire. They are 15 inch tires for a riding lawn mower. The 8 inch chrome wheels are plastic and pop into place. They run about $30 for the set and here is the Amazon link.
I used a 5/8 inch diameter piece of steel for the axle. Spacers, bushings, and a stop collar were used to attach each wheel on the axle.
Bottle Opener and Cap Catcher
I added a bottle opener and cap catcher. The folding table is supported by folding L brackets. I wasn't able to find them at a local hardware store so I ordered them online.
 Trailer Hitch
A trailer hitch was added to pull the bar cart. This is not for street use. It will however be fun to pull around at the golf course, soccer fields, or in the tailgating parking lot. I bolted the 2 inch ball hitch to a 3 inch wide piece of metal. A metal plate and extra re-enforcement were added to the front of the cart. A pin is used to easily detach the hitch when not in use.
I pulled the cart behind a Polaris Ranger to test it out.
Flat Screen TV
I added a 40 inch Samsung Smart TV to the Party Station to make it the ultimate tailgating solution. A couple 2×4's were added to bolt the tv mount on. The tv mount I used is super easy to install and was about $30.
LED Lights
LED LightsLED lights seem to make just about anything look cool at night. I found a 16 foot LED kit that works great and is battery powered. This is perfect if you are not going to have access to power. There is also an LED light kit version that plugs in which is quite a bit cheaper.
The LED light kits come with a remote control that can make the lights change colors and do all sorts of cool things.
Here is the final version of the Ryobi Nation Party Station. The plans to get started with the build are over at Ryobi Nation.
You should also check out my buddy Jamison's Party Station over at Rogue Engineer if you have a minute! He customized his with a slide out drawer, larger top, and umbrella. It's perfect for enjoying some beverages out on the patio or by the lake!
Best of luck with your Ryobi Nation Party Station build. Take action, have fun, and create! Cheers from Montana. – Pete