Autohome Maggiolina Topline vs. Carbon Columbus

[Sirocco]

Evening Guys,

I just wanted to pick the collective brain of the forum over the differences in the above tents (aside from weight).

I currently have the old Topline maggi (med) which is sturdy, has put up with howling wind and rain here in the UK, scraped under trees and been across Europe. I really really like these tents.

But... the option has come up to buy a Carbon Fibre Columbus. I think its a small but me and the girlfriend are small build and 5'10/5'2 respectively so width is not an issue. a couple of reasons I want to upgrade the topline to the carbon is primarily weight. the maggi is about 60kg whilst the carbon is 33kg. secondly, its narrower so will fit on the roll cage of my D90 alot easier and wont stick out like the current one and lastly (i dont like saying it) They do look a lot cooler :ylsmoke:

my main concerns are:

Will we notice a difference in internal space, due to the design?
are the internal usable lengths the same? I like a stretch and the topline seems a little short (my feet are in the mechanism but as mine is older were they shorter? I read by 4inches)
can the tent, especially the gas struts take a hammering from the wind?
Is the carbon shell tough enough for rugged use?
when did the carbon fibre version hit the market?

I dont have much info from the seller yet, but I am hoping to buy it and then sell on my topline to recover the majority of the cost.

opinions/banter/technical details/discussion all welcome

G

 

[Lemsteraak]

Difficult choice, both the tents will serve you well, but very different tents from different eras. They differ in size, shape, weight, materials and even the manufacturing process. Both are rare tents.

I would personally jump on the Carbon Fiber. The weight is amazing, you can put it on just about anything and I've heard they are virtually indestructible.

It is hard to part with these tents. I have some friends who have a medium TopLine, they used it in a year long expedition into Mexico and Central America on their old FJ60, love it, and still have it. I doubt they would ever change. You have a comfortable old tent now, and yes, the new one is probably better, you will be happy with either.

Rich