By Seth Fargher
Plenty of UTV owners would happily take a brand-new machine directly from the dealership to a professional builder and hand over an unlimited budget. Others enjoy turning the wrenches themselves and watching their dream vehicle take shape one upgrade at a time.
Nate Jellen belongs firmly in the second group. He built this 2015 Can-Am Maverick MAX X ds Turbo as a versatile family machine that he could enjoy with his young son, Nate Jr., throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Nate was no newcomer to modified UTVs. His previous machine was a Yamaha Rhino equipped with long-travel suspension, King shocks and the supporting upgrades needed for short-course racing. When the time came to build a four-seat UTV, the Can-Am Maverick X ds Turbo platform stood out.
“I did a ton of research, and the Maverick was the best out-of-the-box fit for what I was looking for,” Nate said. “A lot of my buddies have RZRs, and that seems to be what everyone wants because someone they know has one. I tend to be the fish that swims upstream, and I really liked a lot of the features on the Maverick MAX X ds.”
Because the build was intended to let Nate share the outdoors with his son, the Maverick MAX’s elevated rear seating was an important advantage. The X ds package’s FOX 2.5 Podium RC2 piggyback shocks also provided the suspension adjustability he wanted.
From the Dealership to the Dunes
After picking up the Maverick from Larson Powersports in Fife, Washington, Nate took it directly to the Winchester Bay dunes for its first trip.
“It had 0.1 mile on it when we unloaded it at the dunes,” Nate recalled. “I aired the stock tires down and let it rip. I beat on it for three days, and it performed flawlessly. I had no trouble carrying four adults up Banshee Hill.”
Following that successful Memorial Day weekend, work began on the first phase of the build. Nate already had a collection of parts waiting in his garage, including DragonFire Racing doors, graphics, a harness bar, harnesses, a seat-belt override and a rear bumper.
Lighting and Audio Upgrades
StarVision Lighting supplied LED high- and low-beam headlights, green underbody lights and accent lighting for the intercooler and turbo area. Nate also installed a Kicker audio system with two amplifiers, multiple speakers and green LED speaker rings that matched the rest of the car.
The combination gave the Maverick a distinctive appearance during the day and made it especially noticeable after sunset.
WARN Protection and Recovery Equipment
The Maverick received its second major round of upgrades shortly before DuneFest. Kalani Corn of DuneTech Offroad contacted Nate after WARN Industries began looking for a four-seat Maverick for an upcoming catalog photo shoot.
Just days before the event, DuneTech installed a WARN heavy-duty Maverick front bumper, ProVantage 4500 winch, 20-inch WARN WL Series LED light bar with a tubular mount and a pair of WARN LED cubes.
Dirt and Sand Tire Packages
Because Nate uses the Maverick in both sand and dirt, the build received two dedicated wheel-and-tire packages. GMZ Race Products supplied 28-inch Sand Stripper tires mounted on 14-inch GMZ LiteLock beadlock wheels with custom-powder-coated beadlock rings.
For dirt and trail use, Nate replaced the original tires with 30-inch GMZ Kahunas mounted on the stock wheels. He felt the taller tires were better proportioned for the large four-seat Maverick than the original 28-inch tires.
More Boost and Supporting Upgrades
The 2015 Maverick MAX X ds Turbo was originally rated at 121 horsepower. Devious Powersports reflashed its ECU with an Evolution Powersports tune that reportedly raised boost from approximately 7 psi to 12 psi and increased output to roughly 155 horsepower.
Nate complemented the tune with Evolution Powersports silicone turbo tubes and a blow-off valve. The valve releases pressurized air from the charge tube when the throttle closes, helping reduce compressor surge.
Digital boost and voltage gauges were installed in an Alba Racing dash panel. The panel also provided a clean location for switches controlling the lights, winch and other electrical accessories. Alba Racing heavy-duty billet-aluminum tie rods replaced the factory steering links.
A Homebuilt Roll Cage
The third phase began in late October when Nate decided to replace the stock cage. As a fabricator, he wanted to give the Maverick a personal touch, so he designed and built the new structure in his garage.
The cage was fabricated from 2-inch, 0.095-inch-wall tubing. Nate also made the Lexan windshield and roof, resulting in a package tailored to the car rather than assembled entirely from off-the-shelf parts.
Clutch and Chassis Improvements
After losing a drive belt during a dune trip, Nate installed an Airdam clutch kit supplied by CT Raceworx to improve clutch operation for the modified engine and large tires. CT Raceworx also supplied billet rear radius rods to strengthen the rear suspension.
Finishing touches included a ModQuad billet fire-extinguisher mount, Axia Alloys billet mounts for the mirrors and goggles, a 50-inch StarVision LED light bar, additional LED cubes and multicolor illuminated whip flags controlled from Nate’s phone.
Built to Be Used
The finished Maverick MAX was undeniably flashy, particularly at night, but Nate emphasized that it was never intended to be a display-only build.
“I didn’t build a sand car,” he said. “I built something that is super functional but also a good performer—a functional, all-around side-by-side.”
That versatility allowed the family to use it at the Oregon dunes, Washington’s Straddleline ORV Park and across hundreds of miles of old logging roads near Mount Rainier. Nate also planned trips to Moab and Arizona.
More than its extensive parts list, the story behind this Maverick is what makes it memorable. Nate built it so his son could join him outdoors, and the result was a personalized family UTV capable of handling far more than a trip to the sand.
Can-Am Maverick MAX Build Specifications
- Vehicle: 2015 Can-Am Maverick MAX X ds Turbo
- Roll cage: Custom 2-inch, 0.095-inch-wall cage fabricated by Nate Jellen
- Doors: DragonFire Racing
- Rear bumper: DragonFire Racing
- Front bumper: WARN Industries heavy-duty Maverick bumper
- Graphics: DragonFire Racing
- Harness bar: DragonFire Racing
- Harnesses: DragonFire Racing
- Seat-belt override: DragonFire Racing
- Headlights: StarVision Lighting LED high/low beams
- Accent lighting: StarVision underbody, intercooler and turbo lights
- Audio controller: Kicker PXiBT50.2
- Amplifiers: Kicker PXiBT50.2 and PXA200.2
- Speakers: Kicker 6.5-inch KM and 5.25-inch PS speakers
- Speaker enclosures: SSV Works fiberglass pods
- Speaker rings: Custom StarVision LED rings
- Winch: WARN ProVantage 4500
- Front light bar: WARN WL Series 20-inch LED with tubular mount
- Front LED cubes: WARN Industries
- WARN installation: DuneTech Offroad
- Sand tires: 28-inch GMZ Sand Strippers
- Sand wheels: 14-inch GMZ LiteLock beadlocks
- Dirt tires: 30-inch GMZ Kahunas
- Dirt wheels: Factory Can-Am wheels
- ECU calibration: Evolution Powersports tune supplied by Devious Powersports
- Turbo tubes: Evolution Powersports silicone tubes
- Blow-off valve: Evolution Powersports
- Clutch: Airdam clutch kit from CT Raceworx
- Radius rods: CT Raceworx billet radius rods
- Dash panel: Alba Racing
- Boost-gauge adapter: Alba Racing
- Tie rods: Alba Racing heavy-duty billet tie rods
- Windshield: Custom heavy-duty Lexan
- Roof: Custom roof with Dzus fasteners from Kartek Off-Road
- Roof light bar: StarVision 50-inch LED
- Additional LED cubes: StarVision Lighting
- Whips: StarVision multicolor illuminated whips
- Fire-extinguisher mount: ModQuad billet mount
- Mirror and goggle mounts: Axia Alloys
Special Thanks
Nate thanked Kalani Corn of DuneTech Offroad, WARN Industries, Roger Demaree at Kicker, Scott Gordinier of GMZ Race Products, StarVision Lighting, Alex at CT Raceworx, Cale Couto at Larson Powersports, Brandon Fehliman at Octane ToyBox, Ryan Reed at Devious Powersports and Rob Thomas of 360 Motorsports for the powder coating.
He also thanked his mother and, most importantly, his son Nate Jr.—the inspiration behind the entire build.
Explore more custom machines in the UTV Guide Build Spotlight archive or browse our latest Can-Am coverage.
