I really feel like I ought to contact my legal professionals, as the very first thing I believed once I noticed Can-Am and MeatEater’s final searching Defender HD11 construct was, “Hey, they copied me!” They, nevertheless, went far additional than I’ve.
The second factor I believed was, “Shut up and take my cash!”
At its core, what we now have is Can-Am’s all-new 2026 Defender HD11 Max Lonestar. It is the full-cab, HVAC-equipped, four-door, six-person side-by-side anybody should purchase from their native dealership. It comes with a mattress, strong lights from the manufacturing facility, and sufficient floor clearance to recover from most path obstacles. There’s additionally a winch, a mattress with a good payload capability, towing capabilities, and a bumpin’ stereo.
But, all the things could be bettered, and for those who’re planning on going searching across the nation, especially out here in the West, you need a couple of extra creature comforts, in addition to a couple of further extras to make getting round simpler.
However these two firms went above and past, and basically made my dream hunting side-by-side, full with a Go Quick Camper rooftop tent, chunkier BFGoodrich tires, and oh a lot extra. Imitation is the sincerest type of flattery, proper?
Stopping myself from drooling for a second, the construct was finished up by S3 Power Sports out of Shreveport, Louisiana, and was geared up with not solely a number of elective equipment you should purchase straight from Can-Am’s accent e-book, but additionally a handful of upgraded and beefy as hell components from S3, too. All with one aim: the last word searching side-by-side setup.
We, clearly, have to begin with the Go Fast Campers rooftop tent, because it’s simply probably the most hanging portion of the construct. I’ve lengthy been an advocate of placing rooftop tents onto side-by-sides, having solely been overwhelmed to the punch by Polaris’s debut of the Xpedition by a mere few weeks, simply as I used to be putting in my Roofnest onto my Maverick X3. It is turn into my searching home-away-from-home, because it simply makes backcountry expeditions that a lot nicer and simpler.
I imply, waking up at 10,000 toes to elk bugles is the very best, and doing so after not sleeping on the chilly, exhausting floor, properly, that simply could be heaven.
Pictures by: Can-Am
The GFC tent in query is the model’s V2 Professional design, and options rear entry and a folding ladder that is stowed when not in use. It is also tremendous glossy and able to taking a success. Once more, excellent for the woods the place the timber and rock outcroppings could be decrease than perceived in some instances. On the entrance of the RTT, S3 additionally put in a 40-inch mild bar straight from Can-Am. Simply cribbin’ my construct, aren’t ya? The platform that the GFC sits on, nevertheless, is a custom-built system made by S3, full with built-in Molle panels for extra storage options and attachments.
Elsewhere, you’ve got bought a {custom} exhaust defend from the corporate, a {custom} entrance bumper for extra sturdiness, and upgraded suspension, together with beefier A-arms and is derived. The corporate additionally lifted the Defender barely as a way to match 15-inch KMC wheels and BFGoodrich KM3 35-inch tires—that is an additional 3 inches on my setup. And the outside is completed in a FirstLite camouflage sample to make it mix in additional.
As for the within, Can-Am and MeatEater threw all the things you’d need at it by way of searching options. There are LinQ Gear Grips in your bow—one thing Remi Warren and I have been discussing not too way back in wanting a greater answer for—LinQ gun holders and power holders, further storage compartments for knives and instruments and sport luggage and no matter else you’d want. There’s even a lockable gun case, trigger nobody desires their stuff stolen. And, clearly, there’s {custom} MeatEater logos in every single place. The end result is simply Michael Fassbender “Perfection” gif.
Picture by: Can-Am
“I’ve been a long-time fan of Can-Am, so it’s fairly cool to see this practice collab MeatEater Defender come collectively,” stated Steven Rinella, including, The group at S3 Powersports did an unimaginable job bringing the construct to life. It looks like a bodily illustration of our partnership and the sort of machine our crew depends on within the discipline. I’m excited to get it out and put it to work.”
Now here is the unhappy a part of this complete story. It is not on the market. This construct is a one-off that Can-Am is not promoting. A lot of the components, nevertheless, are off-the-shelf gadgets. So with a bit little bit of purchasing, you can get fairly darn near the construct. And it appears to be like like S3 Energy Sports activities already sells a lot of the components on this construct, aside from the rack setup. Perhaps if we ask properly, they’re going to do it, although. PLEASE DO IT?!
In case you’re tallying that up, you are most likely getting fairly near what you’d pay for a Polaris Xpedition, because the Defender HD11 Max Restricted begins at $38,000. Add the equipment and such, and also you’re near $50,000. However for the last word searching rig, one that may’t be stopped, and one which’ll outperform any truck wherever, you would be hard-pressed to not need to fork over the money.
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