Maggiolina Columbus

bigreen505

Expedition Leader
I have one that I am actually thinking about selling. What would you like to know?

In my opinion they have more cons than pros. They are very small inside for the claimed floor space, despite claims they are colder than a Howling Moon tent, unlike a traditional tent they take up the entire roof and the aerodynamic benefits compared with the traditional style roof tent are more theoretical that real (at least as it pertains to drop in fuel economy). On older models the ladders are a joke. The only pros they have (again, compared with traditional style tents) are that they weigh less and setup/pack up is nearly instant. Consider your needs (be honest) and how many people are sleeping in it. For some reason, the Columbus feels more like a backpacking tent then any other roof tent I have used. The rest seem like a bed with a canopy.

Because of the way I usually am traveling, the speed of setup and pack up, and lower weight spread over the whole roof, make the Columbus a winner for me, but if I had the choice I would probably go with the Maggiolina or, if I needed to sleep more than just me, a Howling Moon. My small Columbus is very small for two. If you are worried about weight on the roof, consider the carbon model, but the cost is very high. Something to note about the Autohome fabric is that it is not very dark. Whether that is a plus or a minus is a personal decision.
 

jeffrro1

New member
I am also in the Denver. I have been looking into roof top tents. I have been looking at the traditional type and the columbus and the maggiolina. What size is your columbus. It sounds like you perfer the traditional tents better. I am looking for a tent for two people. My grilfriend like to spread out a bit when she sleeps. Sounds like you owned a howling moon in the past. I was looking at the easi awn. What was your experience with the howling moon.

Thanks
Jeff Goorman
 

bigreen505

Expedition Leader
The only tent that I have personally owned is the Columbus. I'm pretty sure it is a small. If it were a medium my opinions my be different. I have several nights in ARB and Howling Moon tents. For what you say, you might look at a 1.4 or 1.6 Howling Moon. If I were to buy one I think I would go with the Deluxe model with a stargazer roof. The importer (Bundu Gear) is based in Santa Fe and is in Denver with some regularity. Aside from the Stargazer roof, the big difference between the Howling Moon and Eezi Awn is the Howling Moon has darker (thicker?) fabric, a fly that covers more of the tent and cover that completely zips around the tent. That means the fly flaps more in the wind and the cover takes longer to get on/off. No right/wrong answer. Both are quality products. If you are the kind of person who goes somewhere and sets up camp for a few days, the touring style Howling Moon (not sure of the exact name) with the available annex is really nice.

The Columbus/Maggiolina are a different type of tent. I prefer the Autohome tents if I am on the go and I think they are easier for one person to setup and take down quickly. The Howling Moon is all around nicer if you are in less of a hurry. As a photographer, I am more likely to be chasing light at both ends of the day and moving around a lot than really setting up camp in one spot.
 

onebigjk

New member
Before you by a mag or columbus check out top bunk they are made here in colorado and a much better product in my opinion. Some day when funds allow there will be one on my jeep.
Mike
www.topbunkusa.com
 

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