CLEMSON — It’s a smooth ride, not to the ACC Championship or anything, but from Myrtle Beach to Clemson, in a massive recreational vehicle that frames a full-size bedroom, a kitchen and common area lined with comfy couches, a luxurious bathroom with a double showerhead and enough storage to carry anything and everything you could think of for a successful tailgate, camping trip or stop along the beach.

And what’s a mini-fridge anyway? Amos and Yvette Green could very well live in their 1993 RV that comes equipped with a washer, dryer and regular-sized refrigerator. Their two dogs, Brandy Green and Sebastian, wouldn’t even know how to travel in a car, and the same goes for the Green’s children and grandkids.

“Now in the third generation, my kids bring their kids and it’s something they’ll always do,” said Amos.

This rolling family tradition, however, extends far beyond the Green’s next of kin. For most home games and planned trips, the Green’s RV is only one in a group of 10 that forms a “caravan” of fans that travel to respective college towns. The entire crew was set to arrive around 2 p.m. on Friday, Amos said, and he couldn’t wait until each space surrounding his monster on wheels got filled.

“We’ve all been doing this for 20-some years,” he said. “We come from all over. From Myrtle Beach to Charlotte, we travel to one destination and meet there.”

And to celebrate the biggest rivalry game in the minds of Tiger and Gamecock fans, showing up early and leaving late is the only guideline they follow.

Don’t get confused though. Amos and Yvette are just two leaders that operate a well-oiled machine to the tune of more than 80 wheels, 15 coolers, 50 folding chairs and more food than the average person has ever seen on a grass field.

“We all come together to help cook, clean and make cocktails,” Amos said.

But as an annual tradition, the last home game at Clemson will yield a huge barbecue feast for more than 250 people.

Want to stop in for a bite to eat at “The Green’s RV Diner?” Don’t bother unless you have an “invitation bracelet.” Each year, the Green’s mail out hundreds of invitations with colored bracelets to signify their friends and extended tailgating family.

“We have a friend that caters,” Yvette said. “It’s always the highlight of this weekend. Being able to go to the game is just a bonus. I’ve had more fun on asphalt parking lots than the average person has at any party.”

The joys of celebrating, traveling and watching football together can, sometimes, have its sad moments too. The Greens and their tailgating posse learned the news that their longtime friend and tailgating cohort, Hoyt Hendrick, passed away at 82 years old in 2007.

“He was like a second father to me,” Amos said. “So to honor him, we had personalized bracelets made that say ‘Hoyt, 1924-2007.’ We wore them to every home game last year.”

The memories of Clemson tailgating are enjoyed by thousands of fans each year and for other families like the Garrisons and Knights, coming together for the big game is something they’ve done for 11 years.

Altogether, Jimmy Knight, Ryland Garrison and Connie Davis lead a group of 25 family members and friends to the Clemson vs. USC showdown — one of whom takes care of all the grilling, frying and sautéing of meats, veggies and seafood all weekend — while they’re split team loyalty provides plenty of cheap entertainment.

The “who’s gonna win” talk should subside after the game at noon, but the “cheap talk” never goes away.

All talking, however, will stop when “Shorty the Cook” aka Frankie Bryson, takes any of his slow cooked fixins’ off the grill.

“Shorty is a genius cook,” Jimmy Knight said. “Our menu consists of pork rinds, Boston butts, shrimp, chicken wings, hash, brats and quail breasts.”

And thanks to the first football game between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869, tailgating has become a staple and a crucial ingredient in the recipe of football fandom.

“Go, Tigers,” Amos said.