hello eveyone,as our daughter & partner have hi-jacked the vango it looks like we might be tent shopping,having enjoyed the beta 450 we have come to the conclusion that a bit more height & an oblong "footprint" would influence our next choice with a small 4man/metal pole tunnel being the ideal for us old fools,now for the confusion.
we like the look of the outwell minne 4,but have yet to see one erected locally,Yoemans have a virginia5 which they describe as similar, however we have seen differing descriptions of the minne, ie does it have 2 or three doors & is the porch on the rh or lh side when looking straight at the front door,is the uk model different to the continental spec,could this be the reason for differing prices & descriptions on this model,I have emailed one local supplier for clarification & await a response,in the meantime anyone here have any ideas, thanks m& e.
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visiting the outwell web site is where the confusion started,severall uk suppliers are using pictures of the tent with the porch on the opposite side & also describing the tent as having three doors, hence the comment is the uk spec tent different to the european model, or are there diferring spec tents available in the uk, ???
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As a previous owner of the minnesota 4, I can assure you that when looking at the FRONT of the tent, the porch and side door are on the LEFT. The minnie has Never had 3 doors. I know some websites were showing 3 doors and some of these were depicting the MONTANA 4, which did have, but was phased out and replaced by the minnie. Some website pictures were showing the tent photo as a "reverse negative" if you see what I mean, thereby showing the side door on the right.
Hope this clarifies things for you.
Mick.
Yippee, thanks mick,its all becoming clear ,just had a look at some reviews of the montana & this is what some dealers are showing on their adverts describing it as the minesota, sadly it looks like my ideal tent has been discontinued, unles there is still some old stock about (highly unlikely), thanks for all the replies, mystery has been solved, m & e.
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Quote: Originally posted by wrinkleygits on 19/8/2010
Yippee, thanks mick,its all becoming clear ,just had a look at some reviews of the montana & this is what some dealers are showing on their adverts describing it as the minesota, sadly it looks like my ideal tent has been discontinued, unles there is still some old stock about (highly unlikely), thanks for all the replies, mystery has been solved, m & e.
I know its not an Outwell, but very similar to the Montana 4 and worth a look if you like the design - the Vango Columbia 400 - Vango's premium tent version of the Monty 4 discontinued last year but still a few around. 5000HH, SIG, steel poles, enclosed side porch, plus vango's unique TBSII internal strapping system that provides even more stability when clipped in place in very windy weather, the low level vent system, zipped covers for the windows and the option of a full or part opening front (so don't need the Monty's fussy windows) with extra length on the doors to tuck under the groundsheet as an effective seal... etc. I haven't double checked the sizes but its possible that the footprint and carpet of the 2010 Sungari will fit, as will the Vango open and closed canopies. The porch has a separate groundsheet for cleaning like the Monty so the footprint and carpet only cover the main part of the tent.
There's actually a new one on ebay at the moment for £180.
We have the 600 version - its proven an excellent tent and such good value for the high spec. Having seen the Monties close up, we prefer it!
Helen - Oh yes, ignore the promotional images that show it with fibreglass poles. They are definitely steel. I believe they had intended to release the tent with fibreglass poles (hence some of the images) but changed to steel at the start of the season.
I,d have to agree with speedcamp there, the Columbia 4 is a very good tent, and, if I,d seen one before I,d bought the Minnie, I certainly would have had one instead, as I prefer the general layout, and it seems 'a bigger bang for your buck'.
You wont find one on display now, so you,ll have to judge it on the pictures you might see on the web, the size difference is just a few cm and is insignificant, and £180 is a bargain, as they were around 300 at one time. The sungari & columbia tents are the same size its just the spec. thats different.
Good luck, Mick.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions,as the retailer hasn't replied to the origional query (although they have acknowledged receipt of the email) after 5 working days we are now looking at other options & spending our budget (about £250-£300 ish)elsewhere, options at the moment as well as outwell now include-
coleman mackenzie cabin4
vango artemis 400 or 500
could probably start a new thread as the quest continues this weekend, m & e.
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Topic: outwell minesota confusion
