whats the benefit of tag axle besides looking cool?

We have a 2007 fleetwood excursion and are thinking of getting a new fleetwood discovery with bunks for the kids.  i consider it a pretty lateral trade except i do get a nicer engine and more torque (plus the bunks).  I have always wanted a tag axle becuase they look cool.  I have heard they ride better and I imagine they are mainly on the larger/heavier coaches to distribute weight more evenly. 
any other reasons?

    I've never had one with a tag but I hear from others that they hold a straight line better, I do know that when towing our toad our RV steers straighter with less wander.

All of the above, plus your tire dealer will love you for buying two more tires than before.  : ;D

The only reason for a tag axle is to allow for a heavier coach that otherwise exceeds the allowed weight on a single axle.

I like the little benefit of 10,000 pounds extra capacity. Look at most comfort loaded 40' MH's and they're close to their max weight before you fill them with fuel, water, and food. The tag axle eliminates that worry.

The handling while towing, the stability in wind, the cool look(?), on my rig the 3 extra feet of length inside and the extra tire cost are all just extras. The added weight capacity for living 7 months a year in the coach is the reason for the tag axle.

Ken

We tried hard to find a motorhome without a tag axle that had anywhere near the same same load-carrying ability as one with a tag but couldn't. A tag axle requires some extra maintenance, two additional tires, two more TPMS transmitters etc. However there is no doubt that our current tag axle equipped MH feels much more stable than our previous two MHs felt without tags - especially when driving in strong crosswinds, passing large oncoming vehicles etc. Not all of that can be attributed solely to the tag axle - the greater length and weight of this MH has a lot to do with it - but the tag axle has a lot to do with it too. When you're towing with a tag axle there's virtually no tendency for the toad to wag the dog - you can barely tell that it's there.

My opinion - if you don't think you're ever going to need/want the extra load-carrying ability, or if you're happy with the way your current MH feels when towing, don't buy a coach with a tag axle - especially to "look cool" but there are noticeable differences in the way a tag axle equipped coach feels - especially when comparably loaded and/or when towing.

Kev

Many tags were constructed before DOT raised the RV weight limits to match those of buses, raising the single axle weight limits to 24,000 pounds from 20,000.

We went from a 40' single axle to a 42' tag and there certainly is a big difference driving the two. The tag tracks much nicer going down the road, is not effected as much by wind or pass larger trucks on the road. It does not porpoise  nearly as much, safely allows for a larger carrying capacity.     

NY_Dutch said:

All of the above, plus your tire dealer will love you for buying two more tires than before.  : ;D

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And so will the toll collectors on the Turnpike, which charge by the number of axles!

And another set of brakes as well.

All good points above.  One thing that is worth mentioning is that length for length you will lose some storage on the exterior due to the tag axle.  We had more storage in out 38' Beaver than we do in out 40' Dynasty.

That said, the extra weight carrying capacity was a must for us to the size of trailer that we routinely tow, plus our coach weighs in @ 36k pounds when not towing anything in ready to travel trim.

The ride is great, the extra set of brakes is great and that slight porpiosing that we would occassionally get driving when hitting the slight rollers in the road, the front end would come up and then the rear and the front would come down.  That is almost completely eliminated now.  When the front end raises the tag catches it before it is able to transfer the motion.

The extra set of tires and brakes is negligible as far as I am concerned though, divide that out over the life of the brakes and the approx. 7-8 year life of the tires and it is barely worth mentioning.

Personally, if I didn't need the weight carrying capacity I don't think I would have gotten the tag just for the looks and the reduced storage.

Mike.

Not sure of all states, but in CA a third axle restricts the speed limit to 55mph - plus, you must drive in the far right lane just as if towing "anything".

http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/speed_limits.htm

The tag axle on MH's was done because of a DOT Reg on bridge weight. New MH's are now exempted from that Reg allowing bigger coaches without the tag axle.

How about it looks really really cool?  8)

And uses up bay storage space.

I keep seeing that the tag uses too much bay (basement) space, but if you just add the 3' to the coach that the tag allows, due to the 10,000 pounds of additional capacity.......... there's your 3 feet of basement back. PLUS the 3' of additional room INSIDE which is where I live and it allows bigger showers, separate head, 2 baths, and other goodies, if those are important to you. Or max it out to 5 more feet of room and really enjoy life.

Since most big rigs travel with a toad the 55 mph limit for 3 axles in California is a non-issue. Plus EVERY vehicle MUST travel in the right lane unless passing. "Keep right except to pass" is not just a phrase, it's the law in most if not every state.

Ken

I had a 40 ft single and went with a 45 tag and was looking for the braking and better handling the tag provided. Since the new machine has disk brakes and my previous had drum its not an equal comparison. I can say that the new machine with the tag will stop at freeway speeds close to what my pickup does. Add the jakes and it may stop better. Safety and handling
were my reasons for going with the tag. For me I don't think it looks any different then any other rig with shinny wheels. It just seems some rigs are running so heavy on there rear ends that the tail wags the dog. My experience is limited to the 2 bus style rigs so others will likely have more experience. As a side note the stopping power is severely reduced if I have the tag raised.

bucks2 said:

Plus EVERY vehicle MUST travel in the right lane unless passing. "Keep right except to pass" is not just a phrase, it's the law in most if not every state.

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Not in California, Ken, unless there are "only" two lanes. Otherwise from vehicle code 21654, you choose the lane that matches the speed you want to drive, but not if that speed is slower than other vehicles in that same lane - and within the speed limit for that roadway.

Also, from the CA drivers handbook, "Drive in the lane with the smoothest flow of traffic. If you can choose among three lanes, pick the middle lane for the smoothest driving. To drive faster, pass, or turn left, use the left lane. When you choose to drive slowly or enter or turn off the road, use the right lane.

If there are only two lanes in your direction, pick the right lane for the smoothest driving.

Do not weave in and out of traffic. Stay in one lane as much as possible."

http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/traffic_lanes.htm

Would image that is true in most any state. Can't imagine everyone having to drive in the far right lane of a 3 to 8 lane roadway unless passing.

As a side note the stopping power is severely reduced if I have the tag raised.

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How fast do you go with it raised? My Beaver complains if I hit 5 mph with it raised, and the book says to stay below that. It's also tough on the drive axle tires to do much with a raised tag.

I think we agree Bob. If "you choose the lane that matches the speed you want to drive, but not if that speed is slower than other vehicles in that same lane - and within the speed limit for that roadway." That implies that other drivers are going slower. If they're going slower.......... then by definition you're passing them, which is a legal use of the left lanes. Also in the cites below you'll see the phrase "continuous flow of traffic". Rush hour, bumper to bumper, accident ahead and driving in CA fit this catagory. I've not seen an empty freeway in CA yet. Do they exist?

I like the Michigan Troopers explanation of a person driving continuously in the left lane..... Obviously, the driver would often be intoxicated when I pulled him or her over.

Here's WA state law on the subject:

RCW 46.61.100
Keep right except when passing, etc.

"    (2) Upon all roadways having two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, all vehicles shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, except (a) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, (b) when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow, (c) when moving left to allow traffic to merge, or (d) when preparing for a left turn at an intersection, exit, or into a private road or driveway when such left turn is legally permitted. On any such roadway, a vehicle or combination over ten thousand pounds shall be driven only in the right-hand lane except under the conditions enumerated in (a) through (d) of this subsection.

Here's an explanation of Michigans law:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/03/traffic_talk_is_is_legal_to_tr.html and here's a pertinent quote from it
"QUESTION: Is there a specific law that prohibits traveling in the left lane and passing on the right? And, can you actually be cited for either, or both?
ANSWER: This is a very common question. Yes, there is a law, and, yes, a motorist can be cited for it."

And finally an overview:

http://highwaypal.com/i95/keep-right-except-to-pass-laws-for-i95-states/

Ken