US trailer wheel size...PLEASE HELP RESCUE MY HOLIDAY!

[Wakebert]

Originally Posted by saltwater_cowboy

4 or 5 stud PCD?

4 stud.

Boat was left with my cousin who teaches boat mechanics in France who serviced the engine and the z-drive. I also asked them to check the trailer which is where I think things started to go wrong. The first wheel came off on a dual carriage-way doing 50mph. The wheel that came off sheered off all the bolts so they must have been tightened far too much. Its a double axle trailer so I didn't really notice it when it happened. Found a local garage at the next exit on an industrial estate which luckily was next to a trailer manufacturer. They put new bolts in and put the spare wheel on....I drive off and half an hour later I notice another wheel missing on the same side of the trailer. I either had the worst luck in the world that day or the bolts on the other wheel were not tightened and the extra weight from the missing wheel must have helped them to come undone.
I won't even mention that I got fined 90euro by the police few minutes before the whole incident for not having the right paperwork for the trailer.

...Needless to say my wakeboard is nice and dry this holiday.

[saltwater_cowboy]

If its 4 stud then you should be able to wiggle on 4 x 100mm PCD wheels. These are fitted to vauxhalls, fiats, rovers, alfas, citreon, renaults in fact most cars except fords, peugeots and audis.

Every US trailer I've seen uses 5 x4.75" PCD which is a chevy/jag/volvo size.

What paperwork were you missing from the trailer then? I know they are really hot on trailer safety in europe, especially on nose weight and things like that.

[Wakebert]

Thanks for that. The rim I bought in France must have been a 100mm PCD so the garage mechanic probably didn't want to take the risk of bending things to get it to fit.
Anyway a mate has found some wheels in the UK and should bring them over monday...so fingers crossed for some wakeboarding next week.

I was driving a french registered car pulling my UK trailer (with UK registered boat) which is what the police didn't like since all trailers above 500kg in France need their own V5, registration and insurance. I would have been fine had I been towing it with a UK registered car.