Replacement Wheels for a Vintage 1973 Prowler Travel Trailer

Updated 05/05/2014 | Published 05/01/2014

Question:

hello! I just purchased a 1973 travel trailer and the wheels are a 4 bolt pattern and appear to be hub-centric. The hubs have the measurements Max Dia 10.040 INinch on them. Please see photos for clarity. Do you stock replacement wheels for this type of hub? In looking at these wheels, I am guessing they are NOT split rims. Am l mistaken? If you do not carry replacement wheels for this type of hub, do you have any recommendations for cleaning them and removing the rust? Are they roadworthy as is? I would appreciate any and all assistance/guidance you could provide.

asked by: Cat

Expert Reply:

We do have some vintage 4-bolt wheels, see link, but the smallest is a 13 inch. It is hard to tell if they are split rims or not.

The wheel in the picture does not look too bad at all. An over the counter steel cleaner from an auto parts store should do the trick. They may even have a specialty item for wheels.

You are going to have to remove the tires and check the insides of the rim. A tire shop should be able to do that for you can can also clean the insides of the wheels and tell you if they are all structurally sound or not.

If they do need to be replaced I advise also replacing the hubs. On vintage trailers this could be easier said then done because a lot of parts are no longer available for older trailers. To determine if there are hubs that will fit I would need to know the inner and outer bearing numbers stamped into the metal of the bearings.

If there are no hubs available then you would need to replace the axle(s).

expert reply by: Michael H