Concerns on Tag axle 2003 Monaco exec 43 ft

[lbaldwin]

Coming home from last campout the red light on dash was on for tag axle. Tried flipping tag axle switch several times - no change. Audio alarm was not heard.



I am quite new to the rig, monaco, diesel pusher and tag axles in general.

Several questions.

How much should the tag axles 'raise up', when if flip the switch by the driver's side?

Which way should the switch be flipped to raise / lower the tag axle.
Depressed to front of rig OR depressed to back of rig.

How can I check to see if the tag axle is raised OR lowered?

How much tire scuffing to I 'incure', if I forget to raise the tag at slow speed tight corners (usuall entering / leaving camp site)?

Any thing else I should be asking reference tag axles?

Thanks for any responses.

Lee Baldwin
2003 Monaco Exec 42 ft.

[mytime]

Originally Posted by lbaldwin

Coming home from last campout the red light on dash was on for tag axle. Tried flipping tag axle switch several times - no change. Audio alarm was not heard.

I am quite new to the rig, monaco, diesel pusher and tag axles in general.

Several questions.

How much should the tag axles 'raise up', when if flip the switch by the driver's side?

Which way should the switch be flipped to raise / lower the tag axle.
Depressed to front of rig OR depressed to back of rig.

How can I check to see if the tag axle is raised OR lowered?

How much tire scuffing to I 'incure', if I forget to raise the tag at slow speed tight corners (usuall entering / leaving camp site)?

Any thing else I should be asking reference tag axles?

Thanks for any responses.

Lee Baldwin
2003 Monaco Exec 42 ft.

Not sure exactly on Monaco, I have country coach, the way it works the tag does clear the ground when raised, some scuffing when on concrete or asphalt, especially when backing into sites. I do not raise mine driving, unless l am in tight cornering. My tag will auto drop when over 5mph, a safety feature, so it is not going to raise if you are moving over that speed, a visual check should determine if the switch is working, also check with volt meter. Good luck, Marvin

[K7JV]

Mytime's experience is pretty much what I see in our '06 Dynasty, too. Pressing the top, or front end of the switch lifts the tag. Having it down on the back of the switch has the tag down. If it's up, it should clear the ground. (On ours, it probably clears the ground by at least an inch, but probably not more than a couple of inches.) If it's down, you should see at least some bulge to the sidewall of the tire, comparable to the drive axle, if your tag is properly loaded.

You should stand outside or follow a tag equipped class A in a tight corner. You wouldn't believe the side stress on that wheel and tire assembly! And, you can see where I've "left rubber" on the asphalt in the turns, pulling in and out of our storage unit. That said, I again agree with "mytime" in that I usually only lift mine when in really tight maneuvering situations. My tag tires are rounded off on the edges, a fair amount, but in terms of actual tire wear, they probably haven't suffered more than 5% or 10% of the tire life, in 45,000 miles of use. The tires are going to need replacement due to age, long before they are going to need replacement due to wear. So I wouldn't let tire scrub wear, alone, be my biggest fear.

As for your light on the dash, I don't know what would be causing that, other than a problem with that particular light circuit. If you get an audible alarm when you do attempt to raise the tag, and it goes away when you attempt to set it back down, I would seriously suspect an issue with the indicator light. If you don't get an alarm when you raise the tag, then I might suggest you visit a scale, and determine what load is on the tag with it in both the raised and the lowered position. That would tell you whether your tag lift system is functioning, or not. If it is, and the tag is not clearing the ground, then some adjustment or repair is in order. I will say that based upon what you have describe as happening, you do need to do some investigation as I don't believe it is working as it should.

[Barlow46]

Monaco about the same as Marvin's CC.

Toggle switch forward to raise tag.

On mine if you are stopped or in first gear, you will get a ding-ding bell sound. My tag raises about 1/2" off the ground (you can adjust height off ground).

If adjusted correctly, you can manually turn the tires by hand.

Depending on the type of surface you are on in a campground, you will either dig into the "dirt" or "scuff" your tag tires on asphalt.

Since you have the red light on the dash, you have a slightly different setup than I do on my 05.

You might also check for the pressure adjustment in the engine compartment and see what the pressure setting is. Mine is on the left about chest high when you open the engine compartment door from the rear of the coach. It is probably set somewhere in the 40's psi.

Sounds like something is not working as it should. Could be a bad toggle switch or possibly an air leak. The tag raises when air is "dumped". Open you drivers side window when stopped and listen for air escaping when you toggle the switch forward.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by lbaldwin

Coming home from last campout the red light on dash was on for tag axle. Tried flipping tag axle switch several times - no change. Audio alarm was not heard.

I am quite new to the rig, monaco, diesel pusher and tag axles in general.

Several questions.

How much should the tag axles 'raise up', when if flip the switch by the driver's side?

Which way should the switch be flipped to raise / lower the tag axle.
Depressed to front of rig OR depressed to back of rig.

How can I check to see if the tag axle is raised OR lowered?

How much tire scuffing to I 'incure', if I forget to raise the tag at slow speed tight corners (usuall entering / leaving camp site)?

Any thing else I should be asking reference tag axles?

Thanks for any responses.

Lee Baldwin
2003 Monaco Exec 42 ft.

I have an '03 Signature which is a close sibling to your coach. The responses so far have been on target:
1. Press switch down in front to raise and down in back to lower.
2. When raised there should be a chime sounding.
3. When raised on fairly level ground the tires should be off the surface..
4. When raised the air bags for the tag are deflated and the air chambers to the lifting arms are pressurized.
5. The tag switch itself has two light sources. One is illuminated with the dash lights. The other is only illuminated when in the raise position.

I don't have a dash light for the tag. Does the light on your dash say "tag" or is it a symbol?

[rpasetto]

I think it was '02 or '03 that Monaco went to this tag system... (perhaps earlier?). With the switch forward the tag will raise when the trans in in first or reverse. It'll drop down as the Allison shifts to second.

The tag is raised by a pneumatic-brake-chamber type device which lifts a lever attached to a chain and the raise height can be controlled by how long the chain is. Major purpose for raising the tag is to avoid scuffing on tight turns.

Many owners leave the tag down all the time... perhaps figuring tires will "age-out before they wear out. [note that even duals will scuff a little since the outer dual turns a little faster than the inner one on a turn]. At low speeds in a CG with gravel or dirt roads scuffing should not be an issue.

Easiest way to tell if the tag raises would be to sit at neutral, engine running, with your foot on the service brake pedal. press the "D" or the "R" and have someone outside check that the tag raises.