By Danny Adair, PayDirt Media
After a great time at the 2014 Oregon DuneFest, the wait could not pass fast enough before we headed to eastern Idaho for the Labor Day weekend Idaho UTV Invasion. Our vehicle for the trip was the Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R X rs DPS.
The drive from Boise to the St. Anthony Sand Dunes was one of our shortest event hauls of the year. About five hours after leaving home, we arrived at the event’s host campground at Idaho Dunes RV.
The St. Anthony Sand Dunes have some of the largest bowls and hill climbs in the country.
Camping at the Idaho UTV Invasion
If you camp with kids, you know that having a trailer or hotel room can make the trip much more comfortable. We arranged for a 28-foot camp trailer to be delivered directly to our site at Idaho Dunes RV. The price was comparable to a decent hotel, but we had the convenience of staying where the event was happening. It was luxury camping with an incredible view.
Watching the action at the Thunder Mountain Sand Drags.
Putting the Maverick MAX to Work
Once we were settled, we headed to Thunder Mountain to watch the big-bore UTVs move some sand. The short trip to the hill crossed rolling dunes, volcanic rock fields and several larger dunes begging to be explored.
The sand was softer than what we had encountered at the Winchester Bay dunes in Oregon, so I knew we would be putting the Maverick MAX’s 1000cc V-twin engine to the test. We were running 30-inch GMZ Kahuna dirt tires mounted on GMZ Lite-Loc beadlock wheels instead of dedicated sand tires.
The dirt-tire setup allowed us to cross the exposed rock fields without much concern while still running low enough tire pressure to find useful traction in the sand.
The Can-Am Maverick MAX was ready for a weekend of family fun.
A Guys’ Ride Through the Idaho Dunes
The next few days were a whirlwind of fun in the Can-Am Maverick MAX. Jon Crowley and I headed out for a quick guys’ ride, where we could push the machine harder than I normally would with the kids in the back seats.
Jon was able to get some seat time in the four-seat Maverick and experience what I had been raving about. After a few minutes behind the wheel, he returned impressed by the engine’s responsive power.
A faster-paced ride through the dunes in the Maverick MAX.
Family Ride to Egin Lakes
After the action photos were finished, I gathered up the family and headed to the Egin Lakes Recreation Area, where the water meets the sand. It was only a short ride from Idaho Dunes RV, and the kids had a great time splashing in the water on a warm afternoon.
Cooling off at Egin Lakes during the Idaho UTV Invasion.
We spent the late afternoons in camp watching the teeter-totter competition and UTV dyno runs. The kids also spent plenty of time at the playground. We had thousands of acres of sand outside camp, but the slides and playset kept them happily occupied while we prepared dinner.
UTV Invasion Poker Run and Group Ride
Saturday’s UTV Invasion Poker Run had us navigating through the dunes and taking photos at each sponsor checkpoint. Sunday morning’s group ride turned out to be one of the most enjoyable days I had experienced in the Maverick MAX.
With the family strapped in, we set out on a flowing route through some of the largest dunes I had ever seen. We carried as much speed as possible down each slope to help the Maverick climb the next towering dune. The engine had plenty of power, but this was the one day when I wished we had installed paddle tires.
Poker Run stops at the HCR Racing and TMW Offroad checkpoints.
Raffle prizes were drawn at Devil’s Dune, where my daughter won a shirt from Fullerton Sand Sports. The shirt probably was not going to fit her for years, but she had a smile from ear to ear because she had won. That was all that mattered.
One Last Ride
Labor Day arrived and campers began heading home early. We still had enough time for one final ride before starting the drive back to Boise. We put Mom behind the wheel so she could learn how different dune driving is from trail riding, particularly when approaching steep climbs and descents. She did a great job for a first-time dune driver.
Our onboard Power Tank setup also proved valuable on the way home. One of the trailer tires began coming apart on the highway, and we discovered that the spare was low on air. A quick blast from the Power Tank brought the spare back up to pressure and got the family safely moving again.
Final Thoughts on the Maverick MAX
The Idaho UTV Invasion was another memorable summer trip, and the Can-Am Maverick MAX performed flawlessly. We drove it hard against steep dune faces, crossed rocky terrain and used all four seats for family rides through the enormous St. Anthony dunes.
More importantly, the Maverick MAX helped us create family memories that we will always share. Special thanks to the UTV Invasion and Idaho Dunes RV for hosting a great event.
More Idaho UTV Invasion Photos
The 2014 Idaho UTV Invasion was organized by Jon Crowley of UTVGuide.net, Dave Kuskie of Fullerton Sand Sports and Mike McGroarty of Idaho Dunes RV.
