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Oh, this is HAAAARRRRD!!!

So, thanks to advice on here , we've decided to go for a 6+ berth for our little family (2 adults, 2 kids under 5).  Until today we were all set to buy the Vango Maritsa 700 and then... we stumbled across the Outwell Vermont L!  Wow, what a tent!  It seems so versatile - I was particularly taken by the fact that its front wall/door can open up entirely (and I assume be made horizontal with a couple of poles?) and also the inner wall opens up entirely.  The Vango has a door on the front wall and the middle wall only opens half way.  I also love the fact that the windows open!  The bath tub groundsheet looks very good too.  All round a solid, really well designed tent.

BUT... The Maritsa has the third bedroom for storage (and possibly to separate the kids in the future) which is a huge, long term benefit.  The living space is also bigger.  AND, it's quite a chunk cheaper too.

Decisions, decisions!  What do you think?  Does one stand out over the other for quality and/or design?  For future reference also, are they both easy to extend/adapt?

Obviously, the price issue is huge and if these two come out as VERY similar in design etc. then we'll need to go for the Vango... We just really want to get this decision right!

Thank you in advance.

Must admit - we love the 2/3 bedroom arrangement of our Columbia 600 so we don't need to get out of bed to check on our 3 year old even though he has his own "room". The extra room we currently use for storage, keeping the living area free. The rest of the layout is similar to the Montana 6 with the large flexible open living area and an enclosed side porch for a wet weather entrance and toilet but with the added advantage of the whole front openable or only half of it.

The Maritsa with the bedroom arrangement, external door layout (which are not placed in the dead-space in front of the inners but effectively use up any potentially usable wall space) and the enforced split in the living space for us just doesn't quite work... Our son has his trainset out on the floor of our open living space, in the opposite corner to the stove and also away from the table - there is space for it all and for us to interact and move around.

Helen

Hello grizzlydoris

Have you looked at the Outwell Vermont XL??  Our friends have this tent (2 x adults, 1 x 5 yo child) and it's a brilliant tent.  They have the front section set up as their kitchen/diner area, then they have a large lounge which has the wardrobe (which can be removed) and they use this to store the Kampa Kharzi toilet in) and it has 3 bedrooms.  They unzip one of the walls in the bedroom to make a very large bedroom for the adults and then their daughter is in the room next to them.  The great thing about this tent is you can open/roll up the windows if it's really hot and just have the mesh windows to keep the bugs out.  We always have tent envy when we go in their tent for a cuppa.

You can check out the inside of the Outwell tents on the Outwell website where they have 360 degree views of the interiors of their tents.  Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I think I am sold on the Vermont now!

Thanks too 'Guffy' for your idea of looking at the Vermont XL - I DAREN'T!!!!  The L is pushing our budget as it is lol!!!!

Thanks again.

You won't go wrong with the Vermont - we have an M which is no longer made, but it's perfect for the two of us. It's seen some really dodgy weather and never let us down one bit.

Better HH than the Maritsa too I think????

GUTTED!!! 

Our local store had a 20% sale on all tents over the weekend but we rang and they said they didn't stock the Vermont L so we sighed and said "oh well".  (The Maritsa was in the sale which is why we were trying to race to a decision.)  Anyways, I've now been looking at the Vermont XL and fallen in love with it but can't justify spending all that money for an extra 65cm width (albeit for the all important extra room).  Whilst absent mindedly browsing it today I can see that my local store DO stock the XL and we could've got it for 20% off, just bringing it into budget!!!

It's a shame the shop didn't say "we don't stock the L but we DO have the XL" as that might've sold it!!!  Oh well....

BOO HOO!!!!!  :(

Just to add to the confusion - Have you had a look at the Kampa Filey 6?  Bigger living space (at the expense of a smaller porch area).  Admittedly if you add the cost of the optional 'vestibule' to enclose the front the price is only marginally cheaper than the Vermont L...    

Or there's the Vango Monte Verde range...

[Edit] I see from your profile that you may have already 'done the deed'