BrigRat5831

Can't wait to get my dog in the Jeep and head for the beach...any suggestions for air compressors to air up afterwards?

Jeepstin12

Last time I was down there, I recall a gas station not far from where Rt 12 ends. There has been a lot of house blooming there in recent years though. One word of caution, often times, when we went, the end of Rt12 was a drop off of around 12-18". Not bad going onto the beach. A little tricky getting back on the road from the return trip from Carova.

Here's a satellite pic of the end of RT 12. Notice, at high tide, you'll be forced to drive on the dunes which are protected and is illegal. Mind the tide schedule. Also look at the canals in Carova. Front get carried away zipping through "town" or you risk putting it in the drink. And there aren't exactly tow services close by. Carova is about 15 miles as I recall and the posted speed limit is 15 mph. A good little cruise.

double J

I have a small compressed purchased from Pepboys, similar to this one;
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BM...&robot_redir=1

I deflate my tires to 18lbs and refill them to 35lbs. ( I have 2013 Sahara wheels and tires 32") Refilling takes about 2 minutes a tire. I have my lady watch the tire pressure on my instrument panel, and I take the compressor to each tire.

Sargejk

Oregon Inlet marina had free air. Some of the gas stations have quarter slot air-machines. We stayed aired-down for a couple of days but kept the highway speed down.

truckie515

It's been my experience from Oregon inlet to Hatteras every gas station has free air and you don't have to drive very far from every ramp to find a station.

karls

The ramp at the end of 12 isn't too steep of a drop off anymore, it's pretty well filled in. The local people don't like it if you drive around back on their 'roads' particularly if you even drive in any of the puddles back there- so don't do that.

Airing down at Corolla really isn't needed unless it hasn't rained in a week or so (which only happens at the end of summer) and even then you don't have to drop your pressure much at all.

Oregon Inlet is a different story- air down.

Corolla does have tow service and they are absolutely out there most of the time during the season- tourist season. Typically 2-4 tow trucks down there, usually at least one right at the entrance with the Sheriff so they can make a quick buck. Word to the wise- they're expensive.

Also....since you clearly see that the tow companies are in cahoots with the Sheriffs, it should be noted that the Sheriff will discourage you pulling someone out if they're at a critical access point- they'd rather keep the money local. Battlefrog21 can personally attest to this as he was pulling out a Grand Cherokee years ago and the police were on his ass about getting out of the way so the tow company could do their job.

A note about pulling people out- it is absolutely illegal to ask for money for pulling someone out. The town will press charges.

So be mindful of the town and the people while you're down there. The people, police, tow truck drivers, and firemen are all watching you and can spot you a mile away. The locals will not hesitate to call the police on you and believe me- they can find you pretty quickly. Your word doesn't hold much weight compared to what the locals may have seen.

A'sJK

Yeah...unfortunately when they opened it up for vehicles back in the day the yahoos f'ed it up. People would tow trailers filled with 4wheelers down there, get drunk and raise hell. Hence, no atv use unless you live there or qualify for non resident permit. While strict and strictly enforced, the rules keep the dumb-ass rednecks from running over your kids while they are playing on the beach. My uncle lives there half of the year. He said that there had been some injuries and fires as a result of tow mishaps. stupid people getting stuck and even stupider people trying to tow them out. By stupid, I mean a honda pilot trying to tow strap out a Nissan rogue and the pilot caught on fire. I get why they are protective...not everyone drives a suitable offroad vehicle. If I see someone stuck I offer them a ride or use of my phone. The one time I helped someone with a tow I got some hardcore dirty looks. The locals are extremely protective of the area and so are the sheriffs. That being said it's one of the quietest, nicest beaches to visit if you wanna to cook, drink, take some leisure jeep cruising on the beach and do nothing.