Greg Campbell shares his exptertise on the Maverick X3
Thinking of joining the Can-Am Adventure of a lifetime, but wondering what you need to prepare your Maverick X3 to help it carry you all the way to the end? Wishing you had some expert guidance? Never fear; we’ve got you covered.
Greg Campbell not only lives but also breathes motorsport. He knows the Can-Am Maverick inside and out from his own experience in managing GRC Motorsport, a workshop specialising in all things rally and off road, supplying some of the best racing names in the business.
On the weekend? Maybe he’s competing in his own custom Can-Am Maverick X3.
Happy to share his expertise, Greg knows what it takes to keep your machine in top order to survive the Red Centre - and they are things every owner, regardless of experience, can do before heading out.
‘Start at the bottom of the car – the part of the car that touches the ground,’ Greg advises. ‘Wheels and tyres and having wheels and tyres (specifically) for that trip. The other thing you’re going to have to make sure you’ve got is some spares.’
Noting that the recreational rear roof rack from Can-Am – the LinQ latched rack – is a versatile way of carrying your spare tyres, Greg also points out that the rack integrates with a cooler system; worth consideration in the hot Australian Outback.
Tyre pressures, critical in any situation, are of particular importance in the desert.
‘You may want to drop tyre pressures in the sand,’ Greg explains. ‘And you may want to pump the tyre pressures back up. So a lot of recreational guys have basic little pumps to reinflate the tyres in case you’ve got to let them down to go in the sand dunes.’
Tyres aren’t the only important spares to consider in the recreational drivers’ kit. Moving up the car, Greg says: ‘You want to be taking belts, you want to be fresh on how to change the belts; we all know that belts have a limited lifespan.’
While you’re at your local Can-Am dealership talking parts – and Greg does recommend genuine parts and accessories – think about picking up some spare filters for the journey.
He suggests drivers build themselves a spares package for the trip:
‘The critical thing about an engine – one of the main things – is clean air going into the engine. Certainly from your local dealer you’re going to have to stock yourself up with a couple of air filters. Make sure you’re familiar with how to change that air filter. Make sure you know how to tap it out, how to clean it – you may want to clean it here and there during the day. Air filters are absolutely critical. We don’t run any aftermarket filters; we’ve always run the BRP genuine dry element filter.’
Depending on the number of kilometres on your machine, it’s worth considering having it fully serviced before a trip to The Outback:
‘You want to make sure it doesn’t have any obvious oil leaks,’ Greg suggests. ‘Suspension is one of the key things. You’re going to want to make sure there’s no movement in the front suspension. You’re going to want your local dealer to do a full service on the machine, placing priority on the front suspension. You may want to put new ball joints on it, particularly lower ball joints.’
While a well-cared for, carefully driven Maverick X3 will ‘last for ages’ according to Greg, he is unwavering in his suggestion that owners take their machine for a full service before joining the Can-Am Adventure into the Red Centre. Years of driving, racing and mechanical experience indicate it’s advice worth listening to.
