Maggiolina or Columbus

[fubuki]

I thought I'd solicit some advice on which Autohome to get. When I sold my ARB RTT last fall I was sure I would be getting the Airtop in small and have budgeted accordingly. Now that I'm about to pull the trigger, I'm having second thoughts. Is the Airtop worth $400 more than the Airland? What about the Columbus? I never gave it much thought until recently, but why not the Columbus. I've never actually seen a Mag or Columbus, so this is all based on user reviews and specs from the website. Before I drop $3k on a tent I want to make sure I'm getting the right one. Any help from owners or former owners is greatly appreciated.

 

[Corey]

I have the medium Airlander.
Lots of pics on the forum of it.
I like it a lot.

Lots of pics here too, and my thoughts on the tent.
http://backcountry-camping-gear-reviews.blogspot.com/

 

[bigreen505]

I think the Maggiolina is a much nicer tent than the Columbus. The Columbus weighs a little less (double check that) and sets up/packs up a little faster and easier, which is nice. A small Columbus is a much smaller tent than an ARB. If you liked the size of the ARB you might consider a medium. If you are buying a tent for two, I would definitely go with a medium. If I were buying one right now, I'm not sure which I would go as I've never actually slept in a Maggiolina. If it was mostly just me in the tent I think Columbus, if mostly two in the tent Maggiolina. If you plan to camp in cold conditions, buy the winter hood as these sleep much colder than the ARB. Coming from the ARB, you won't believe how easy it is to open/close a Columbus.

 

[mhiscox]

Coming from the ARB, you won't believe how easy it is to open/close a Columbus.

Yep, that's why you would want a Columbus . . . It's closed--slight pause--it's opened. It's opened--pull down--it's closed. Not that the other tents are exactly hard to set up, but putting up the Columbus is lightning quick, realistically twenty+ times faster than setting up a fabric RTT.

However, your height will be an issue in picking out the right length. You need one longer than your length or else (I know it sounds funny) there's no room for your toes to move when you turn over. Offsetting that nuisance, though, is the fact that you can probably stand up enough in it to pull your pants on and to get in and out of the tent gracefully.

 

[fubuki]

I'm 6' and my wife is about 5'5" and we had plenty of room in the ARB. Both length and width-wise. I know the mattress is 80", which is fine, but not sure of the width. The small tent is 51" exterior, so I'm assuming 48" mattress width? That would a bit cozier than the ARB, but I don't think entirely uncomfortable. My biggest concern is some of the durability and quality issues I'm hearing about the Airtop and how particular you need to be when putting the top down. In that regard, I was thinking the Airland is a more proven tent with a long history of quality.

 

[RttH]

If your ever in the Loveland, CO area look me up. I have the Maggiolina Extreme, and would be glad to show it to you. My wife and I are same as you in height. We love the Extreme and it measures as a small in the Maggiolina line up. I would think that the Columbus would be nice too, especially for warm climates and its lighter and easier set up/down. The Maggiolina is also very easy to set up/down but is heavier to mount on my truck each spring and off in winter (I like parking in garage during winter). Any questions holler!

 

[ssssnake529]

I looked at both the Mggiolina and the Columbus. I opted for the Columbus.

Things I liked about the Maggiolina: It had more storage space inside the tent when closed. (The Columbus really has room for bedding and the ladder, and that's about it.) The Maggiolina has more pockets and the interior is more "tricked out" compared with the Columbus.

Things I liked about the Columbus: Lighter weight. (I am wary of roof loads, and want to keep the weight as low as possible.) The Columbus goes up and down quicker. (Setting it up is literally a 30 second operation, taking it down about 2 minutes.) The Wedge configuration provides more headroom.

I have the medium sized Columbus. It's plenty long. It's longer than a regular queen size bed. (I know this because I had to buy a queen XL sheet set for it.

I don't know anyone who owns a Columbus or a Maggiolina who doesn't like them. They are both great tents. If you want a lighter weight, simpler option, go with the Columbus. If you want a more tricked out option, go with the Maggiolina. You will likely be happy no matter which one you choose.

 

[Zigzagn]

What good timing! I took delivery of my medium sized Columbus Variant 1 week ago today and used it for the first time last weekend. I am 5'11" tall and didn't find the length to be an issue. The mattress dimensions on the medium size are 55" wide by 81" in length. I checked out the Mag line and as great tent as they are, I found them smaller feeling almost costrifobic and I am not a costrifobic person. When the Columbus is open, it is 59" tall, making it easier, I think, to get dressed in the am. As far as ease of sent up the columbus could not be any easier, undo the latch and give it a gentle push up and up it goes, pull the ladder out from inside the tent, and that's it. Take down is only slightly longer as you have to made sure everything is tucked in properly.
Don't know if you would use the winter hood, I have it and it stays on the tent, there is no need to take it off when you take the tent down. BTW where I was camping the temperature dropped to -16C(3 F) and not that tent made it any warmer, (well maybe the winter hood helped hold in some of the heat), everything worked as it should no matter what the temperature.
The bottom line is either would make a great addition to your outdoor lifestyle, for me, I'm glad I went with the Columbus!

Take care
Barry, from the great white north!

 

[fubuki]

Thanks for all the input. I'm still leaning towards the Mag over the Columbus, so it's a choice between the Airland and the Airtop.

RogerH,

Thanks for the offer and I may take you up on that if I make it up that way.

 

[Corey]

No experience with the Columbus as far as opening them, but opening the Airlander is very easy
This video is from 2009, the Airlander is now on a lower profile Bajarack which significantly lowers the COG.

 

[Colin Hughes]

Having used both, you will get a great tent, regardless of which you chose. There is now an XL length version of the Columbus. What I liked most about the Columbus was on nice evenings, you can sleep with your head at the higher end, leave just the screen and enjoy the stars. I've had myself, my wife and a one year old husky/sheppard in both a small Maggiolina Extreme and a Columbus Variant medium and there was lots of room.

 

[spressomon]

We had a medium Maggiolina Grand Tour for a couple years atop our then AT Horizon. Very secure and very comfortable; big wind didn't faze it. But the timing chain did come off somewhere in Death Valley and fortunately it happened on our last day...so I could deal with it in our home garage. It doesn't happen very often or probably to many but when it does you're effed. And yes it was a biotch to fix...even in our garage.

So with that experience my next one will be either a Columbus or an Airtop. YMMV.

 

[kilimats]

small Airtop owner here, love mine and no regrets for sure ! I think a colombus would be as good if not better for the extra height / being lighter / quicker setup time. Having window in all sides on the magginiolla is wonderfull though, you feel on top of a tress waking up in the morning, My wife and I stayed in bed for about an hour extra waked up just to enjoy the view and listen to the animals/river ahha.

And if you planned on camping in the mountains where the temp drop around 0 degrees, get a winter hood, we tried once without it and could feel and constant cold airflow coming through the fabric even with no wind outside, the hood will prevent that and keep the inside warmer.

 

[Zigzagn]

small Airtop owner here, love mine and no regrets for sure ! I think a colombus would be as good if not better for the extra height / being lighter / quicker setup time. Having window in all sides on the magginiolla is wonderfull though, you feel on top of a tress waking up in the morning, My wife and I stayed in bed for about an hour extra waked up just to enjoy the view and listen to the animals/river ahha.

And if you planned on camping in the mountains where the temp drop around 0 degrees, get a winter hood, we tried once without it and could feel and constant cold airflow coming through the fabric even with no wind outside, the hood will prevent that and keep the inside warmer.

Maybe I should be a Columbus salesman..lol The Columbus Variant has openings on each side and a large opening on the rear, all of course are either open, screened or plastic windows. The rear opening has a really cool way of opening up or down or any combination in between
Barry

 

[kilimats]

^ you had questions about the winter hood functionality on the first page, hope i answered your confusion in my post above