First, does having lower tire pressure have the same effects on tire wear as having too heavy of a load?

Second, improper tongue height shifts more load to one set of wheels that the other on a tandem axel?

Third, rules of thumb on determining proper tongue height.
Thanks
Chris

1) I would say yes. Always keep tire pressure at what is recommended on the sidewall. For my tires that is 50 psi cold.

2) Yes, absolutely.

3) Do whatever you can to get the tongue level. Different drops on the hitch, an adjustable drop draw bar, etc. That will even out the load on the tires on a tandem axle trailer. As a general rule, if the tow vehicle is on level ground, I believe distance from ground to to of hitch ball is generally around 18" to 19".

Hope that helps.

Ray

So regarding the tongue height, could you put the trailer on a flat surface adjust the tongue until the entire frame is parallel to the floor and this is the tongue height?
Chris

Juhas:

Maybe more detailed instructions than you need, but here's what I did...

The tongue may or may not be parallel to the frame. What you want is the trailer frame level front-to-rear. So, load your truck with the usual stuff you would carry on a fishing trip, hook up the trailer and tow it to a level parking lot. Pick a reference point on the trailer coupler and measure its height above the ground. Put a spirit level on a flat part of your trailer frame side rails, as close to the axles as you can. Uncouple the trailer, move coupler clear of the trailer ball and crank the tongue jack until the frame is level. Measure the distance from your reference point to the ground. The difference between the first and second height measurement is the change in height of your trailer ball needed to make the trailer frame level when towing. If the difference is less than 1", you already have a good set-up.

Different drawbars are available, but unless you have one custom-built, you're likely to find you can only adjust the ball height in 2" steps. You're trying to find the drawbar that gets you within + or - 1" of the ideal height. For example, let's say your current drawbar has a 2" rise. When you do the measurements, you find the ball needs to be 3.5" lower. So, get a 2" drop drawbar to lower the ball 4" and you'll be within 1/2" of the ideal ball height.

So regarding the tongue height, could you put the trailer on a flat surface adjust the tongue until the entire frame is parallel to the floor and this is the tongue height?
Chris
Yep, this is the easiest surest way to do it.

Yep, this is the easiest surest way to do it.

how do you adjust the tounge? I have never owned a trailer with an adjustable tounge before

Just for reference I had to use an 8 inch drop hitch on my Triton 205 trailer hooked to an 08 HD2500 Chevrolet with stock tires not jacked up or anything. The hitch is 13 inches off the ground in order to get the thing to run level. I towed this unit for 3 years on a 2 inch drop and ruined the rear tires, it eat the inner tread to the steal. Now that I dropped it it even pulls diffrent, always pulled well but seems more stabile and tracks cleaner now.

The manual that comes with your Ranger trailer tells you exactly how high the hitch should be.

I always thought proper tounge weight should be roughly 10 to 12% of total trailer and boat combined. I read this on walleye central. People could use a bathroom scale to complete this. Good luck

I always thought proper tounge weight should be roughly 10 to 12% of total trailer and boat combined. I read this on walleye central. People could use a bathroom scale to complete this. Good luck

That is the figure I've seen for cargo and house trailers. For boat trailers, the figure I've seen is 5-7%. The difference is due to differences in weight distribution and axle placement in boat trailers compared to the others.

Yes, one can use a bathroom scale for this, but when tongue weight exceeds 200 lbs, ya gotta do a little adapting.
http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/tongueweight.html

Juhas,
It is very simple to determine the needed tongue height.
Go into your garage.
Put a level on the gunnel of the boat.
Adjust the tongue jack up or down until the gunnel of the boat is level.
If you don't have a flat gunnel, simply put the level on the floor of the boat.

When the level reads 0 so that the level is level on the boat, the boat is level.

Now, measure the distance from the floor to the bottom of the boats tongue.

This is the desired height of the towed boat.
All that you have to do, is - when the boat is hooked up to a loaded tow vehicle, have the bottom of the tongue - when it is on the ball of the tow truck - be the same height as you measured in the garage.

If you don't have the correct height - either raise or lower the ball as needed to achieve this level.

Many different outlets carry hitch bars which have an adjustable height ball. Generally, pull a pin to change the balls height and reinsert the pin.

The following is one example of a tow bar - that is available from Northern.com

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200094274_200094274

Take care
REW