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travelgirl · 11-17-2010, 07:16 PM

My Husband and I bought a 40 footer we measured it and from bumber to bumber she measures 41 ft 9". over dinner tonight we were talking about other lenth coaches that are bigger then ares that we have seen. I understand the engine difference and the length according to size weight height etc. what I dont understand is what the difference between pulling into a campground with a 40 Footer or 43 footer or 45 Footer. My husband and i spoke with a dealership a long time ago before we bought one beacause we looked at a 42 footer that had a tag axle in it and when i explained to him all the turns we be making and where we be goign he said I do not want a tag axle for my coach because it creates too much drag and tag axles are only good if you on the straight aways... Can you please help me to understand. the sales rep also explained to me that if your pulling into a lot of campground you want single axles not tag also he said if your going to do a lot of dry camping you want to stay single axle... basically the way i took it is if you have a coach with a tag axle you want to be in big area. Also what the point of haveing a tag axle besides the weight carrying. I have seen 40 footer that have tag axles but we do not have a tag. please help us to underatnd

historyljc · 11-17-2010, 09:32 PM

Sounds like your salesman had a non-tag axle coach he was trying to sell. 42' & 43' coaches will fit almost anywhere a 40' coach will fit. As far a boondocking is concerned, the tag axle coach will usually give your a greater carrying capacity so that you can take more stuff with you to enjoy. Believe most salesmen like you believe most politicians.

GaryKD · 11-18-2010, 08:34 AM

Hi travelgirl,
As to pulling into a CG with a 40 to 45' coach can be nothing or a catastrophe. Some CGs do not have the road space for a coach over 40' to maneuver. Outdoor Resorts in Gatlinburg, TN and Shenanigan's in Branson, MO are two CG that are examples. Pull into either of these CGs with over 40' and you'll find your worst nightmare. In addition way too many CGs allow their trees and shrubs to become overgrown. This provides ample opportunity for damage to your coach and anything on the roof.

As to the salesman's drag comment, it is mostly a BS broad brush statement. The tag is there to help carry weight over long distances and highway speeds. When in a CG the tag can be lifted (automatic or manual) so drag (scuffing) is at a minimum. The secondary job of a tag is to provide additional stability when at highway speeds. From what I have read, a tag does both these jobs quite well.

Vegasdan · 11-18-2010, 08:40 AM

We've stayed in quite a few campgrounds that you would have a problem getting a 40ft coach into. However, most that we have stayed in would have no problem. Get a good campground guide.

travelgirl · 11-18-2010, 09:10 AM

Good Morning to all,

Thank you for the repiles. Our coach does not have a tag axle we are a single axle. It was just a conversation that my husband and I had the other night over dinner so I thought I would ask. I thank you for all that replided and gave input to.

Bob (WA0MQE) · 11-22-2010, 04:43 AM

You'll find just as many campgrounds that will support 40+ feet as ones that won't. In most cases when you find a campground close to a major highway/interstate, etc. you won't have a problem. If you like state and national parks, you'll have to look a little closer because some of these were built years ago when only pull trailers existed and the weren't very long. Likewise a lot of them are back-ins instead of pull-through's.

Triker56 · 11-22-2010, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob (WA0MQE)

You'll find just as many campgrounds that will support 40+ feet as ones that won't.

So is that 50% will & 50% won't.

Looks like those long RV's need to call ahead for a site.

Vegasdan · 11-22-2010, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triker56

So is that 50% will & 50% won't.

Looks like those long RV's need to call ahead for a site.

Or get an up to date campground guide. These guides will show length of site.

RickO · 11-22-2010, 10:10 AM

We RARELY have a problem at CGs fitting our 40DP with toad. We've found spaces large enough for us far more than 50% of the time. We rarely call ahead. We've had much more problem with the width of sites than with length. Having four slides takes up a lot of elbow room.

Like Dan says, a good CG guide helps a lot. RV Park Reivews will indicate if Big Rig access is available. As mentioned, if you want to stay in state or nation parks it's an entirely different story.

Rick

Gary RVRoamer · 11-22-2010, 06:34 PM

We go pretty much anywhere with our 40 footer. Some sites can't accommodate us, but 90+% of campgrounds that have hook-ups have at lest some sites big enough. And yes, some have narrow or windy roads, but we manage ok on them too.

Wheel base (distance between the front and rear axles) is the critical factor on twisty roads. Tag axles don't really change that, though the "virtual" rear axle on a tag rig is a point halfway between the tag and the drive axle. I've owned a 36 foot tag and a 40 foot single, but the 40 footer is 24 feet between the axles while the 36 tag was only 18 feet. Needless to say, the shorter coach with tag got down those twisty roads much more easily than the single rear axle 40.

The purpose of a tag is solely to carry extra weight. A single axle is generally limited to 20,000 lbs max (some states do not allow any larger on a single axle).