Only a couple of times was I "turned away" for size, though there were a few times (emphasize few) that I called in advance and they had nothing left that I'd fit into. And there are times when it's tough to find a place to stop along the road for lunch/bathroom, etc. (that's true of my current 38 footer, too). But the tag axle, though it cuts a little into basement storage, does offer a bit of extra stability on the road. Still, its main advantage is that it allows the weight capacity needed by the 45 footer (the Beaver was 50,000 lbs). And I had a LOT of inside storage in that Beaver (I miss it), even with having a stacked washer and dryer. The basement storage was about the same as in my Ventana (maybe a hair more).
I will say that the 7 foot shorter Ventana is a tad more maneuverable, allowing an easier task of getting in (and out of) tight spots, but that's only occasionally needed. We did fine with it for four years, and the size was only a very minor factor in our choosing to get the Ventana -- floor plan, especially TV location and counter space were more important, along with certain maintenance items on that particular coach. I miss a LOT of things about that Beaver (air leveling, more inside storage, bigger bath, etc.), but I also love a LOT of things on the Ventana, including the actual door (not just a small window) that serves as an emergency exit for the bedroom/rear bath and the maintenance free chassis batteries, as well as the relative ease of access to the house batteries and improved fuel mileage.