How to Winterize your Can-am Maverick X3, Defender or Commander
Nov 1st 2022
It's that slow and cold day of December winter….Snowing cats and dogs……….and other pets.
Your place is already under a foot of snow and your driveway is filling up with fresh white powder faster than Logan Paul changing careers. Sitting lazy in your cave, you are bored to tears.…
As the slow lazy day isn’t getting any faster, you decide to have a short ride in your new Can-am Maverick X3, Defender or Commander to blow off some steam.
But hang on a minute….
You realize your utility vehicle isn’t that much of a ‘utility’ around this time of the year. It’s got no cab enclosure to keep the chill of ya, so you are gonna freeze to death even if you wear eleven layers..
The all-season tires become so stiff in cold and skip on snow like Bobsled on ice. Your lower back hurts to watch that driveway fill up with a pile of snow that you have to shovel, but only if your Can-am side by side had the right snow plow…
Well, I should stop, this is turning into a sad episode of Korean drama but really..
Prep and winterize your Commander, Maverick X3 or Defender for winter weather so the adventure-ing never stops.
Here is list of some must-to-have gears for your winter horse:
1. Solid and Well-Built Snow Plow
Are you one of those people who’s driveway is a damn bartender's ice luge in the winter season? In spite of the fact that you convinced Mrs. you are only buying a Can-am Defender to plow snow off the driveway cause you are worried of her tripping and falling.
Yeah we know! That’s the biggest lie in the history of lies.
I mean, if we ever have to write a guide on “How To Convince Wife To Buy UTV: Top 100 Lies”, this one will go on the top of the list.
Well kidding aside.. It’s no wonder snow plows tend to sell real quick when the driveways start filling up with snow.
As winter’s coming, it's better to buy one now. You don’t want to be in the middle of the storm of the century running to a hardware shop to prep your vehicle.
So, here’s some practical advice to help you decide on the perfect tool to winterize your Can-am Maverick X3, Defender or Commander.
Generally, plow systems come in three parts
1. The mount
2. Push Tube
3. Plow Blade
In this blog, let’s just talk about the plow blade and leave the rest of the details for some other blog specifically about the snow plow system.
So, basically, there are 2 most common types of Plows recommended for Can-am Maverick X3, Defender or Commander.
- Straight Blade Plow
- V-Shaped Plow
Can-am Straight Blade Plow
If you are a new recruit in snow plowers army, straight blade plow should be your go-to armory. It's the most beginner friendly tool of all the other variations for the reason that you need less time to get a hang of it.
Plus, if you have a driveway that’s not very long and you are on a tight budget too; Straight blade for your Can-am four wheeler is the best pick.
Here are some quality straight snow plow systems for Can-am Commander: https://www.everythingcanamoffroad.com/can-am-comm...
For those of you looking for commercial snow plowing work, you are gonna definitely want a V shaped plow.
Hydraulically controlled V plows give you much more options and maneuverability in tight spaces with multiple control angles.
You can have four way control over the plow with V shaped plowing, Scoop shaped and two angled wings. With one of these you can blast through any job much faster.
For obvious reasons, these cost more than a normal straight plow, but these V-shaped ones do make a case for themselves with a lot more utilities.
Check out Everything Can-am Offroad for A-grade V shaped snow plows: https://www.everythingcanamoffroad.com/can-am-defe...
Tip : Whichever plow you choose, don't forget to order an add-on of blade markers, these help so much to maneuver your plow when clearing a big pile of snow.
Pro tip: Just don’t plow all that snow to the middle of the street, it's illegal you know!
2. Soft and Hard Cab Enclosures for your Can-am (Maverick X3, Defender and Commander)
Wheeling a Maverick X3 or Commander in winters sounds like a fun activity and without a doubt, it is!
But when the frosty air hits your face with a pain like thousand needles poking the skin and you start to feel like Jack Torrance from the ‘The Shining’.
That’s when you start to realize windshields and cab enclosures are a true blessing of the Lord.
But before you go to everythingcanamoffroad.com and impulse buy just any cab enclosure, you need to keep a few things in mind.
Cab enclosures are essential when you need to keep the chill of your Can-am UTV, but you need to first make a choice whether you want & need a hard cab enclosure or a soft one.
Let me expand on this...
Soft Cab Enclosure
Soft cabs are generally made of military grade polyester providing insulation to keep the heat in and cold out in winter.
The windshields and sometimes doors have transparent vinyl sheets that work as see-through glass.
These are pretty easy to install, usually come with zippers to get in and out of the vehicle ( Do mull over this zipper point, because apparently for some, this really is a pain in the a…. arm, yes I meant arm! ).
Grab one for your Can-am Defender here: https://www.everythingcanamoffroad.com/can-am-defe...
Hard Cab Enclosures
Hard cabs are a longer lasting and heavy duty solution with full hard doors, polycarbonate windshields and steel or hard plastic roofs.
Also, hard cabs come with door locks, so one of the key benefits beside weather protection is added safety and security for your Maverick X3, Commander or Defender.
These do take more time to install, obviously. Plus, with all the hinges and latches most people prefer the installation done by a professional.
With a massive price and applicability difference, choosing between a hard cab or a soft cab enclosure is not really Sophie's choice.
Just look at it this way: Soft cabs are really a weather protection to keep you from the brunt of hot or cold weather, but hard cabs are an out-and-out protection solution for your Can-am side by side.
Tip: You can have any combination of both types of cabs at the same time!
For instance, if you prefer a glass windshield and rear window over a vinyl one, for more clear visibility, it's perfectly feasible.
Just be sure of your requirements and how you would prefer your enclosure and you can order any combination of these!
Invest in good quality full cab enclosure to have a nice, tight and warm riding experience: https://www.everythingcanamoffroad.com/can-am-defe...
3. Good Set of Winter Tires
When you are hit with storms, you don’t want to end up in a ditch somewhere and be the dude who died riding a UTV for fun, during a deadly blizzard (ngl, it is a great way to go!).
So, first, let’s talk rubber.
The number 1 reason for UTV accidents in snowy weather is using all-season tires in the winter season… No, I didn’t make this statistic up, it's true!
Okay,...*GASPS*....I did….. but really the one big critical area that can substantially improve and enhance Can-am’s performance in deep snow is a good solid set of winter tires.
Generally, stock tires that come with the vehicle are normal all-season tires.
These are made with compounds that harden up in lower temperature and skid like hockey pucks on ice.
Hence all the car accidents you see on the news, when blizzards hit not-so-prepared drivers.
So, no brainer advice, invest in soft compound winter tires for the UTVs and coming winter, you will notice these will make a night and day difference with more traction, grip and control on your Can-am Maverick X3, Defender or Commander.
At Everything Can-am Offroad, you can find all the best tire brands, Check now: https://www.everythingcanamoffroad.com/can-am-comm...
4.Heater
Next up in our no-brainer list of gears that would prevent you from freezing to death, is a good ol’ heater.
Even if you have the best cab enclosure, perfectly insulated and tightly zipped.
The cold will find its way to get inside and once it does, a chilling cab is really not a pleasant place to work or adventure.
A small compact and affordable cab heater can make you feel so cozy and toasty in one of those Can-am turned refrigerators.
So, let's find out how you should choose a perfect heater for your Can-am Maverick X3, Defender or Commander.
On the surface, choosing a cab heater for your Can-am doesn’t seem to be an awfully complex task, but certainly it's not as cushy when you start looking for one.
So, here’s a checklist of questions you need to ask before you buy a heater that fits the bill.
1. Decide how much space you have open for a heater?
2. Do you want the easy install one or compact on that goes in the dashboard?
3. Decide whether you would like one with a defrost?
4. Make sure you have a proper plan to fix and seat everything from hoses to vents.
Here are some quality heaters for your Can-am Defender: https://www.everythingcanamoffroad.com/can-am-defe...
Besides these essential-four, you can add tire chains and a winch to the mix.
Tire chains are almost an essential when you have to take a long route on the snow. We personally prefer V-bar chains as these provide the maximum traction and control with any pair of tires
Plus, adding a utility tool like a winch goes beyond one single use. A good solid winch can come handy in so many different ways.