Off road - beach buggy

[RIJIMMY]

I've been looking into off road access to RI beaches, particularly East Beach and I have one question for you offroaders.
Once you let the air out of your tires...how do you refill the tires once you're going back to the road? I have a compresssor but it takes an hour for one tire. Do you drive to the closest gas station?
I have a 94 toyota 4-runner and I;m anxious to get on the beach

[striperjerk1]

rijimmy, yes you can drive to nearest air station,but go slow and dont take sharp corners,may pop a bead. or you can partially fill tire and then drive to air station.

[fishweewee]

Coming off of East Beach and Misquamicut it's a little tough as most of the filling stations are a ways off. You can drive on underinflated tires for a fairly short distance provided you don't make sharp rapid turns - your tires will fall off the wheels.

I've got one of those cheapo Wal-Mart cigarette lighter inflators, but they can take forever (five minutes+ on EACH tire) to fill up.

Better bet is to get a compressed air bottle and get your air at the filling station before you hit the beach.

-WW

[flyfishboston]

Check out this link, http://www.onboardair.com/ There are a number of options, this one in particular is a great company, you can buy a portable "air bottle" and fittings or the components to provide "OBA" or on board air that will not only supply air for your tires, but air tools as well. If you check out the 4x4 supply company sites (about eighty-gabillion), you'll also find units that will operate electrically and provide a sufficient amount of air to "air-up" in a reasonable amount of time.

Good luck,

Mark

[tlapinski]

the mobil at dunn's corner has an air station (when it is working). driving on low air isn't that bad, as long as you don't drive crazy or make any sharp movements. i usually air down, 18#'s, when i get to RI and don't air back up until i am leaving or driving long distances on teh highway. i have gone several days on low air driving from watch hill to green hill without any problems. the only advice i have for you is to locate the air station before you air down and make sure they will be open whe you are leaving. nothing worse than wanting to get somewhere and finding out that the pump is broken or the gas station closes at 10pm!

[fishweewee]

Good point Toby.

A safe bet is the 7/11 on Route 1 in Westerly. I think it's open 24/7.

Further East I'm not so sure.

-WW

[tlapinski]

does the 711 still charge for air? the mobil is free to customers. lucky me, i have acces to a free compressor that is always on.

[fishweewee]

Yup, 7/11 charges $0.75 or something like that. Bummer, but they're always open, and you get change while getting coffee anyways.

[RIJIMMY]

You guys are the best, thanks

[Jenn]

have gone a few miles back and forth on 12 PSI slow and easy.....you should be fine. Just dont do it more than you have too....it does take its toll...cracking on the sidwalls and uneven wear

[Mike P]

When I go to the Vineyard, I drop my tires to 17 psi the first time I hit the beach, and keep them there the whole week. I refill them before I head to the ferry, and I do more on-road driving than on the beach. It helps that the highest speed limit there is 45

Just keep it under 50 and try to avoid and sharp turns.

[Saltheart]

People have mentioned places coming off Misquamicut already. Coming off East Beach , go right on Rt 1 North. A short way down on the Right is a gas station that is never open but they have an air thing that's about 50 or 75 cents. If you plan right , have all the caps off the valves before you start , you can get all 4 tires refilled and only have to feed the machine the coins twice. If you can get it done with just one set of coins , please tell us how cause I tried very hard and always have to feed it twice.

I always thought that they should use some of the fee money for the pass to put in air stations at ninigret entrance and weekapaug or the Misquamicut beach state parking lots. .

[fishweewee]

I don't need no steenkin' permit for the vineyard.

[RIJIMMY]

Maybe this si a good spot to ask about access since many of you are familar with tghe area...besides east beach, where else can I access in the area? Quonny?

[Saltheart]

East Beach through Ninigret and Misquamicut , that's it for RI unless you belong to a Club which has access to the Quonny soft side along Weekapaug.

[SeaWolf]

beach access - all westerly beaches (watch hill, misquamicut), charlestown beaches (east beach, and charlestown beach). green hill is n. kingston and not legal for beach driving, although some do.

[Saltheart]

Charlestown Beach is open for driving?

[rockfisherman]

Yes, in the fall.