[VAL] Re: VAL Digest V3 #203

["Uwe Salwender" <salwender@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 16:42:52 -0600
> From: Warren Keuffel <wkeuffel@xmission.com>
> Subject: Re: [VAL] Wheels....
>
> The steel wheels on my trailer are kinda ugly. Has anyone found a
> good source for chrome spoke rims that will fit Airstreams?
>

  Warren,

I bought 15x6 trailer wheels for my 1963 Overlander International here:

wwwtrailertiresandwheels.com

They have an excellent selection of SAFE trailer wheels. You might  
recognize some of their styles from new Airstream product.
The wheels on a tandem axle Airstream are supposed to be at least  
2600lb rated. Most automotive wheels are only 1800 to 2000lb rated.

I purchased these:
http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/site/1284278/product/AW1504

They fit perfectly. Mine came with trailer style removable center  
caps, allowing access to the bearing cap without removing the entire  
wheel.

If you had split rims, then it is possible that your offset was a +1  
or +2, meaning that your tire center was farther to the outside than  
a zero offset. My Overlander's original split rims had a definite  
offset to the outside. Replacing these wheels with zero offset wheel  
would have made the track narrower than it was intended to be. While  
not causing clearance problems, it does look funny.
When I replaced the axles with Dexter disc brake axle, I simply  
specified a slightly wider hub face, and then used the zero offset  
wheels that I linked to above. Now the wheels pretty much sit at the  
same line that they were originally.
I find the weight savings on aloy wheels vs. steel wheels very  
beneficial when doing maintenance on the trailer. The weight savings  
in my case are over 25lb per wheel.
Best,
Uwe Salwender
Portola Hills, CA