Unless your caravan/trailer was custom built, it is very likely that your tow vehicle wheels will differ from your caravan or trailer.
This usually means you have one spare wheel for the tow vehicle and one spare wheel for your caravan/trailer.
When going to more remote areas, especially on gravel roads, it is recommended to carry a second spare for your tow vehicle. We fully agree with this, but.......do you then take a second spare for your caravan/trailer? Weight restraints often prevent this........until now!
In my situation I have a 5 stud Land Cruiser tow vehicle and 6 stud wheels on my off-road caravan. On outback trips I do take a second spare for the Land Cruiser - but if I get two flat tyres on my caravan I need to unhook and travel maybe a hundred or more kilometres to have a tyre repaired or replaced if I cannot fix it beside the road. An extra 30kg spare carried all the time seems excessive for an extremely rare event.
The identical stud pattern of the tow vehicle is found on non-braked removable hub. In this case I've mounted it behind the existing spare wheel, so I don't misplace or damage it. It also allows the bearings to be fully greased, sealed and ready for a quick transfer. If the tyre is not needed then perhaps the bearings or wheel studs may be needed.
The hub is well protected behind your standard spare wheel.
The hub can also be stored under your bed.
You need to remove your existing brake hub. This will require removing the axle cap, then the split pin and finally the castle nut.
The brake drum will now slide off the axle, ensure your existing bearings don't drop in the dirt. Store them for later reuse.
The electric brake magnet, and its spring needs to be removed to prevent damage and loss. There should be two wire joiners behind the backing plate, that need a screw driver to release. These can be later reconnected and the polarity is NOT important.
Finally the non-braked hub that suits your tow vehicle spare is placed onto the axle, and the washer, castle nut tightened. This nut should not be overtightened, you can back off 1/6 or 1/4 turn until the split pin can be re-inserted.
Simply amazed how fast I received a recent order from the team at caravan plus to WA. Helping me out with superseded parts and shipping to my door in 3 days was just brilliant….. no reason to shop anywhere else for me going forward. Thanks guys
Great service perfect for the car and caravan. Thanks again,
Great service
2 Comments
Graham
I liked the principle of this article, until I tried to implement it, finding that my 18" 5 stud Jeep Grand Cherokee wheel can't find a supporting hub for a 12" brake drum on an Al-Ko 2t axle.
Graham
Next suggestion please; given that your sole Spare Wheel Carrier is not recommended for heavy 4WD wheels, like off-road caravan wheels, 17" x 265, 6 stud.