James Baroud vs Maggiolina
- Thread starter brentbba
- Start date
D90Rovin
Observer
My .02
What model are we comparing on the $1000 price difference?
My buddy just picked up a well used Maggi Top Line and I am very impressed with the quality. He has now used it on a few trips and it just works very well. The top fiberglass seems thinner than the newer Maggi models but doesn't seem to be a major drawback.
At Expo west, I really checked out both the Maggi and JB products along with the Stealth and I came away impressed with them all. I was disappointed that the Tepui White Lightning was a "No Show" but Tepui told me they are doing some more testing and may also be making some more last minute changes before the final product rolls out.
If I were to purchase between Maggi and JB tomorrow, I would be putting my $ down on Maggi.
Poor customer service? I'm used to dealing with Italian companies unless this is an issue on the USA end of things....
They had some beautiful free catalogs which showcase a very nice line of products. I don't have anything negative to say about JB and even have a dealer about 20 minutes from me but I did feel the Maggi product edged out on material quality.
Of course maybe going out and camping with both products side by side would give me more feedback.
What model are we comparing on the $1000 price difference?
My buddy just picked up a well used Maggi Top Line and I am very impressed with the quality. He has now used it on a few trips and it just works very well. The top fiberglass seems thinner than the newer Maggi models but doesn't seem to be a major drawback.
At Expo west, I really checked out both the Maggi and JB products along with the Stealth and I came away impressed with them all. I was disappointed that the Tepui White Lightning was a "No Show" but Tepui told me they are doing some more testing and may also be making some more last minute changes before the final product rolls out.
If I were to purchase between Maggi and JB tomorrow, I would be putting my $ down on Maggi.
Poor customer service? I'm used to dealing with Italian companies unless this is an issue on the USA end of things....
They had some beautiful free catalogs which showcase a very nice line of products. I don't have anything negative to say about JB and even have a dealer about 20 minutes from me but I did feel the Maggi product edged out on material quality.
Of course maybe going out and camping with both products side by side would give me more feedback.
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The Raven
Member
When you can hammer Andrew down at Autohome he is responsive. I emailed him to buy spare handle a week ago but so far have heard crickets. Granted we are in Expo west season and I'm emailing his direct email. OK4wd are the distributor for JB and they are top notch for customer service as i have been recently working with them on some ARB draw issues.
ADVSubaru
Observer
I would recommend checking out the models in person if you're able to. AutoHome has been around for a long time and there is a reason for that. On the flip side, while James Baroud is newer to the US market, the tents have seen use across the globe for over 15 years. On that note, if you're interested in the Eezi-Awn Stealth, I would recommend checking out the Alu-Cab Expedition 3 roof top tent. You may even find some locals on here who are willing to show you their RTT and you can see how the look, feel, and operate in person.
Here are two dealers that are close to you:
AutoHome Dealer: Mudrak Custom Cruisers Expedition Outfitting - 22690 Broadway, Suite 2 Sonoma, CA 95476 - (707) 292-3509
James Baroud Dealer: Nomad Ventures Temecula - 26780-B Ynez Court Suite C27 Temecula CA 92591 - (951)693-4670
I completely understand and feel the pain with a soft shell. I personally had an ARB Simpson III and while the quality was awesome, I really hated setup and stow times, especially considering I've used a James Baroud in the past.
Here are two dealers that are close to you:
AutoHome Dealer: Mudrak Custom Cruisers Expedition Outfitting - 22690 Broadway, Suite 2 Sonoma, CA 95476 - (707) 292-3509
James Baroud Dealer: Nomad Ventures Temecula - 26780-B Ynez Court Suite C27 Temecula CA 92591 - (951)693-4670
I completely understand and feel the pain with a soft shell. I personally had an ARB Simpson III and while the quality was awesome, I really hated setup and stow times, especially considering I've used a James Baroud in the past.
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brentbba
Explorer
James - Thx. Mudrak is great but in Norcal. I've already contacted Nomad. Their Escondido store has JB's to look at. It's only about 45 miles south of me. Board member here in OC just purchased a Maggie so will be contacting him for a close up look. Good friend in LA has an older model Airtop and I've looked at that one hard too.
Comparing the JB Explorer at $3800 (mfg website) and Maggiolina Grand Tour $2900 (Autohome website). Ok, I'm an accountant, I rounded $900 up to $1000. :Wow1:
Comparing the JB Explorer at $3800 (mfg website) and Maggiolina Grand Tour $2900 (Autohome website). Ok, I'm an accountant, I rounded $900 up to $1000. :Wow1:
Interesting to hear the price difference between the Autohome and JB in the US. Here in Europe the JB is cheaper than the Autohome. A major reason why I got a JB, a similar sized Autohome colour coded like the JB I got would have been a lot more expensive. Make sure you are comparing the right thing, the medium sized Autohome is about the same size as the JB. So if you are comparing prices of the small sized Autohome you mightn't be doing a fair comparison. Or if all you need is a small size then fine.
brentbba
Explorer
Interesting on the European pricing!
Maggie Grand Tour Small- Exterior 51"x83"x14. Mattress 48"x72"x3.2" Medium Exterior and Mattress is 6" wider at 54" but length is the same.
JB Explorer Exterior 55.5"x78.5"x13.5". They don't list mattress dimensions directly, just Inside at .5" less than exterior. Will have to see on the mattress itself Saturday.
As I'm the only user the small in the Maggie is plenty for me.
brentbba
Explorer
Thanks! Will verify Saturday.
brentbba
Explorer
Well, tough choice, tougher than expected. I drove down to Nomad Ventures in Escondido to see the JB and a huge thanks to Chmura for letting me take a little of his Memorial Day to come see his Maggiolina! Both are excellent RTT's. I did like the convenience, I think, of the crank style of the Maggie, but didn't care for the shorter mattress inside. The 360 view windows of the JB were spectacular and mattress length more to my liking with the struts to the corners instead of the scissor lift of the Maggie. I have some thinking to do and hoping to hear from Frenchie on the Maggie changing room experience he's had.
ttengineer
Adventurer
Have you seen the iKamper Skycamp?
It's a hard shell that opens to the side and has the ability to add an annex room or awning/canopy for a covered entrance. They also offer a mesh version for hot weather.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's a hard shell that opens to the side and has the ability to add an annex room or awning/canopy for a covered entrance. They also offer a mesh version for hot weather.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
brentbba
Explorer
Well...contacted Nomad Ventures about ordering an Evasion. Thanks to all that chimed in here and all the other threads here on Expo. Just great information. For me personally, it came down to a longer mattress for the same exterior length in the JB over the Maggie and the 360 view windows. I was really torn between the struts on the JB and the Airtop vs the crank Maggies.
coledudley
Observer
I wanted a spacious interior and a black exterior which made JB the only option. I've been happy with it. The sizes you got from OK4WD seem pretty accurate to me.