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12-05-2019, 08:32 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 19
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What exactly is a tag axle
I've had my 2007 Class A for four years now and pretty much live full time in it. Today was the first time I heard the words "tag axle" used.
What exactly is a tag axle and how does having one make the coach easier to steer and handle in the wind as I believe was initially mentioned here.
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12-05-2019, 10:33 PM
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#2
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 24,125
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This a photo of a Newmar coach with a tag axle. They're typically added to increase the load carrying capacity of a coach. As a coach gets longer, (typically 42+ feet) there is too much weight on a single axle with dual rear wheels. The solution is to add a second axle to carry additional weight. A tag axle on a motor home and buses are a single tire on both sides, not another set of duals.
The tag axle not only carries extra weight, but it also helps with coach tracking. The third axe basically forces the front and drive axle to stay in a straight line.
Years ago, high end coaches had equipment that lifted the tag axle at low speeds to prevent from scuffing the tires as they dragged in tight turns. Many modern coaches now have steering incorporated into the tag to help the coach turn tighter at slow speeds and to also prevent scuffing. The coach in the photo below has a tag that both turns (steers) and the air bags that support it, dump their air to take the weight off the tag, to again, prevent scuffing.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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12-06-2019, 03:47 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 412
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On my first coach 96 Southwind, I had a tag axle. Being a third axle it, to me, helped keep the coach in a straight line going down the road. It made the ride feel more stable also. I think for older coaches that have them it was also for the weight and the rear drive axles coach overhang. I know from my experience I have no complaints, except when buying tires!
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2007 Itasca Meridian 36SE
Great Wife & Max the boarder collie
Branson MO the best place to live
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12-06-2019, 04:23 AM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,183
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In the 90s the higher end coaches such as Bluebird, Prevost had a steering tag axle.
Many commercial trucks have tag or DROP
Axles to use when hauling heavyweights, maximum loads.
Concrete Dump trucks to name a few.
Tag axles were developed for commercial and emergency vehicles such as fire trucks,
Greyhound, Trailway busses.
Many, many years ago.
Then you have the ( twin screw ) as found on some supper C RVs and Military, Commercial Vehicles.
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12-06-2019, 01:22 PM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,713
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Solid explanations above. A tag axle is there to carry extra weight. Any other effect, positive or negative (there are both), is an incidental side effect to its main purpose in life.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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12-06-2019, 02:06 PM
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#6
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Community Administrator
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 21,570
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Tag axles are great for extra weight carrying capacity, but on a 40' coach you lose at least two storage bays for the extra axle.
__________________
 2017 Phaeton 40IH XSH Maroon Coral - Power Glide Chassis with IFS
Previous '15 Tiffin Allegro RED 38QRA and '06 Itasca Sunrise 35A
'16 Jeep JKU Wrangler Sahara or '08 Honda Goldwing
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12-06-2019, 02:18 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Watertown NY USA
Posts: 6,532
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Welcome to the forum. Thank you for asking your question. Many others here may have been afraid to ask and now they know.
There are many folks who will gain valuable knowledge by someone else's questions and the answers put forth.
Lynn
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2002 Fleetwood Storm 30H on Workhorse P32 chassis 8.1 gas.
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12-06-2019, 02:36 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
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Our first Type A was a new '98 Santara, then two DP's without a tag and now one with a tag. On the Santara the tag added weight capacity, stability and porposing. Next two DP's should have hadvtags as they were close to overweight as delivered. Present rig has about 10,000#'s of CCC.
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2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
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12-06-2019, 02:39 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 1,944
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A tag axle is behind the drive axle(s), and a pusher axle is in front. So the current definitions go, though decades ago we called the pushers on our tri-axle trucks 'tag' axles. <shrug>
Additional axles were added only for weight carrying and bridge requirements, not for any other reason. All of the tri-axles had spring lift function on the pushers, with airbag suspension, and were not steering. If you didn't lift the axle, the turning radius was much larger.
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Tom & Jeri
2018 Coachmen Galleria 24T Li3
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12-06-2019, 03:44 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: NorCal
Posts: 3,000
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Also adds another set of brakes.
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Outbound
2002 Monaco Executive 500 ISM
2004 GMC 2500HD 4X4
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12-06-2019, 03:51 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 3,165
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Next time you see a dump truck with a set of rear wheels off the ground you'll know what it is.
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2011 Keystone Sprinter 323 BHS. Port Charlotte Fl/Hinsdale MA. Retired Master Electrician. All Motor homes are RV's. All RV's are not Motor homes.
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12-06-2019, 05:49 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Pa
Posts: 648
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If no one has mentioned it, the tag axle is never a powered axle.
Tom
__________________
2004 Coachman Santara 3480DS Workhorse w-22 Ultra Rv tune with Banks headers, Koni shocks
Retired OTR driver ATA 5 million mile safety award
USMC Vet 1968-1972
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12-06-2019, 06:19 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,982
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MoCoTom
If no one has mentioned it, the tag axle is never a powered axle.
Tom
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Powered double axles are called "twin screw".
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2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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12-06-2019, 06:25 PM
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 4,985
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Example of a tag axle.
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