How to fix my Maggiolina?

[Septimusus]

Hello Folks,

I recently found a Maggiolina Brevetto Internazionale and I am right now in the process of fixing it.

One issue this tent has is that all four corkscrew nuts are broken. I ordered new corkscrew nuts from Autohome and they fit - in theory.

The issue I have is that I don't know how to remove the gear from the one end so that I would be able to screw on the second corkscrew nut.

Maybe someone has experience with this and can give an enlightening thought

 

[Overland Omnivore]

Hello Folks,

I recently found a Maggiolina Brevetto Internazionale and I am right now in the process of fixing it.

One issue this tent has is that all four corkscrew nuts are broken. I ordered new corkscrew nuts from Autohome and they fit - in theory.

The issue I have is that I don't know how to remove the gear from the one end so that I would be able to screw on the second corkscrew nut.

Maybe someone has experience with this and can give an enlightening thought

View attachment 276198

That’s a lot of moving parts…I had to look up how the thing worked…so do you have any other pics or videos of how the drive mechanism

 

[El-Dracho]

@XC70_OVERLANDER Thore, as an RTT expert, can you help here?

 

[XC70_OVERLANDER]

Sure. There are different parts that can be replaced. The easiest option is to replace the whole mechanism. If you could send me the parts you ordered and explain again what the issue is I am more than happy to help.

 

[Septimusus]

Hello @XC70_OVERLANDER,

First of all, apologies for not getting back to you sooner. For all of 2024 I couldn't log in due to some bug — I was in contact with support several times but we never resolved it. After that I was travelling in Africa and South America, and I'm now back in Dresden, Germany for good. Today I finally got in again with just a password reset, so thank you for your patience.

This morning I pulled the Maggiolina out of the storage place under a tarp where it has sat for two years and started prepping it. The goal is to get it working ASAP so I can do at least a two-week trip to Norway before I start studying at the end of September — it's a cooperative study program with an apprenticeship, so I doubt I'll have the capacity for a trip like this again anytime soon.

I've attached some photos of the tent and the mechanism.

On the parts: the corkscrew nuts I ordered never worked out, because I found no way to remove the chain ring that is welded onto the corkscrew. So I think your suggestion is the right one — replace the whole mechanism. Since my Maggiolina has a carrying frame, I was considering using the mechanism from the Maggiolina Extreme / Cargo, as that one is designed to lift the roof with something like a Land Cruiser spare tyre on top. Does that swap work on a Brevetto Internazionale shell, and do you know what the complete kit is called / where to order it in Germany?


My to-do list before September is ambitious. In order of importance:

1. Lifting mechanism — repair or, preferably, replace with a heavy-duty one.
2. Broken floor — the previous owner damaged the floor where the ladder attaches. I need to make a base plate that won't mould and ideally ventilates the mattress, plus brackets/angles to properly support the side-hung ladder.
3. The smell — the tent smelled even before the two years in storage. Is this likely mould, and what can I do about it?
4. New mattress — thinking of a Bett1 Bodyguard in 140 cm, comfortable enough to make the whole roof-tent hassle worth it over a ground tent.
5. Mosquito nets — need repair.

Any input on any of these is very welcome — especially the mechanism, since that's the one thing I can't work around.

Thanks a lot,
Alex