40 ft bus vs 42ft

[richardn]

Wife and I are moving up from our SOB, (some other brand) diesel pusher. We have narrowed the search to a 40 and a 42 ft Allegro bus, both with 400 hp. She likes either floor plan; my question is how do they perform since the 42ft weights so much more?
We are currently driving a light 36 ft pusher with an 8.3 ISC, 950 torque, 315 hp. Thanks for the help, richardn

[wagon217]

I would think both are nice coaches, but for me the 42 ft with a tag axle is more stable on the road. I moved from a 40 to a 43 ft and not unhappy with my move.

[Joe-K]

Hi Richard,

Welcome to the forums.

To answer your question, I went through a similar upgrade when I purchased our Allegro Bus.

My previous rig was a 36 Winnebago Journey with a 330HP/860Ft-Lb Cat engine. that rig weighted around 27,000 lbs. The Bus weighs around 38,000 with a 425HP/1200 engine. I was concerned about the performance of the 43 bus and how it would compare to my previous rig.

From a driving perspective, the lighter Journey accelerated more quickly than the heavier Bus, but that's about the only place the Journey had the advantage. Once rolling, the 425 engine moves the bus along very well. Living in Western PA, we have quite a few long hills where roads have truck lanes built specifically for slower vehicles. On those type of hills, I have no complaints about the bus at all. I'm very satisfied with the torque to weight ratio of the bus and it's performance. Pulling hills is very similiar to the lighter rig.

I don't think you'll find significant differneces in acceleration or hill climbing between teh 40 and 42 foot rigs, however the stability and carrying capacity of the 42 tag axle will be a great advantage.

On the other hand, when I test drove a 42 Phaeton with the 360 Hp engine, I was disappointed in it's performance on the hills and knew I wouldn't be satisfied with it.

I think you'll be happy with the 400HP engine in the bus

[Sabbathday]

We are on the tag axle bus and find its road handling terrific.

[richardn]

Thanks for the great replies, all full of very good insight; I had not considered the stability factor with the tag. More to think on, thanks again. RNM

[richardn]

Thanks to all, we are now the proud owners of a 2007 Allegro Bus 42 ft. Bought it in Amarillo, drove home to OKC in 110 heat and 35 mph South cross winds; NO PROBLEM! Great ride, stable, would not go back to a 2 axle. RNM

[JohnH59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardn Thanks to all, we are now the proud owners of a 2007 Allegro Bus 42 ft. Bought it in Amarillo, drove home to OKC in 110 heat and 35 mph South cross winds; NO PROBLEM! Great ride, stable, would not go back to a 2 axle. RNM

Curiosity, did you buy it from a dealer here in Amarillo or individual? If a dealer, which one and what was your experience with them. I've been thinking about trading for a tag axle rig. I hear the handling is excellent with a tag.

[richardn]

Individual, but as I said, this tag axle handled the south wind almost like there was none. We put 40K miles on a Monaco Knight in the last 5 years, and there is absolutely no comparison between the two! We have only put 400 miles on this one as we have been taking are of some known problems such as replacing the freightliner radiator surge tank, aqua hot connections to the Cummings heater hoses, changing oil and filters, etc,. All found on the unofficial Tiffin web site. What else can I help you with?

[docj]

I don't think the answer is entirely the tag axle vs single axle one. Our 2-axle Beaver with a monstrous CAT C12 is incredibly stable in crosswinds. I think the overall chassis and coach design has a lot to do with how they perform on the road.

[JMonroe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardn Thanks to all, we are now the proud owners of a 2007 Allegro Bus 42 ft. Bought it in Amarillo, drove home to OKC in 110 heat and 35 mph South cross winds; NO PROBLEM! Great ride, stable, would not go back to a 2 axle. RNM

Congratulations!

[JohnRR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardn Thanks to all, we are now the proud owners of a 2007 Allegro Bus 42 ft. Bought it in Amarillo, drove home to OKC in 110 heat and 35 mph South cross winds; NO PROBLEM! Great ride, stable, would not go back to a 2 axle. RNM

Thank you for the update.

[historyljc]

Congratulations and welcome to the Tiffin Owners group.

[Idleup]

Most owners are moving away from tag axles because they contribute little other than more weigh, less fuel economy, more tire wear and expense all for two feet?

Tiffins new 40 ft is their answer to finally moving away from the tire scrubbing tag axle units. Fuel is expensive why waste fuel dragging another axle when you don't need to.

Thanks

[RJay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by docj I don't think the answer is entirely the tag axle vs single axle one. Our 2-axle Beaver with a monstrous CAT C12 is incredibly stable in crosswinds. I think the overall chassis and coach design has a lot to do with how they perform on the road.

Absolutely right! One factor and probably the most important is the wheel base to length ratio. My prior 37 foot coach had a wheel base to length ratio of 51% and my current coach has a ratio of almost 57% which provides a much more stable ride with a four foot longer length.