About Wicked Campers Australia
Even after many years, Wicked stays true to their core―offering wicked campervans with funky and flashy exterior designs. These extend to all their units, from campervans to cars to 4WDs. The vehicles on their fleet, however, have drastically changed over time. All the units listed below are from their current listing.
Are they really wicked?
Ah, Wicked Campers Australia. As an Aussie website born and bred we reckon we know a bit about this iconic company! Wicked Campers are probably the most polarising campervan hire company in the country. You’ll either love them or hate them. With each van individually painted, you will stand out from the crowd anywhere. Other Wicked renters will flock to you for notes comparison. They are not recommended if you want to get to your destination on time, or at all, but the unknown and unplanned element of a journey is normally what makes for the best memories. However, go in with your eyes open because this is a budget company. Hence, things are going to be tacky, sticky, dirty, and broken―but they are going to be dirt cheap.
Wicked vans are simple and work to the same basic layout. Most campers have an esky (cooler box) instead of a fridge and a water container (removable) for the sink. They also offer a kitchenette section at the back that must be used with the rear door open. They come with advice on how to best save money whilst traveling. There are no bells and whistles, but they are simply one of the most popular brands for cheaper vans because they don’t try to be something they are not. You will have the best or the worst time in a Wicked. Like I said at the start―polarizing. In the last few years, they have largely expanded their fleet that now to includes 4wd, mini campers, and premium models.
Their premium is still pretty crappy compared to some companies, but seeing as this is a budget company, you are looking at the premium in that space. They might have premium paint jobs, but really they are just managing to crawl in the bottom level of most of the other major campervan companies. If the facilities of the wicked Premiums interest you, you should look seriously at other companies too in this rental space like Hippie Campers and Cheapa Campa or maybe even Camperman, which are all pretty decent options.
The long and the short of renting with Wicked is this―you get what you pay for. They are aiming at the discount market and are simply one of the most successful companies to do it. You can’t get to top spot by being the worst. So suck it up, and if you rent from Wicked, go in with your eyes open. Cheap but very cheerful.
Pros & Cons
✓ Pros
- Cheap with great paint jobs
- Rent to under 21y.o
- Sociable – Wicked renters talk to each other
- Good advice on saving money
- Lots of vehicles and depots
✗ Cons
- Break down reputation
- Reports of being feisty and unclean
- Low headroom inside most vehicles
- Bottom end equipment
- Have been targeted for unsafe vehicles
Vehicle Fleet
On the Wicked website, they suggest some popular trails. These vehicles will cope on the Oodnadatta track, the Kings Kanyon track and most the others, however, I DO NOT RECOMMEND you do the Gibb River Rd in these vehicles―particularly after and bad weather. That river crossing can be a b!tch and that river is full of crocs.
What about a road trip to some of Australia exciting tracks? This Armadillo 2 4x4 is built on a Suzuki Vitara with some nice offroad capabilities. It is a basic yet sturdy model that takes you to the Aussie Outback in no time. It has a ro oftop tent for 2 adults. Plus, th e small ki tchenette comes with a fan, gas cooker, plates, cups, and bowls. For the entertainment, you'll get a C D player & MP3 Aux.
One of the few plain and premium campervans on offer, this 2-sleeper camper is based on either manual Suzuki APV vans or auto Toyota Estima vans. These are pretty the same with the Iconic―same interior layout with the kitchen at the back and living/ sleeping area in the mid-section. But if you want a breath of fresh air among Wicked's wicked fleet, this one is a coveted piece.
For those three adventurous friends, there's the budget 3-sleeper camper with a rooftop tent. The sleeping area on top is very spacious and is easy to assemble. You've got choice―whether to choose the plain ones or the campers with head-turner exteriors.
AWD basically is just a normal car that has 4 wheels engaged at all times. AWD vehicles are OK on dirt roads but once you get into really rutted terrain are going to struggle more. These modern offroad units are geared with rooftop tents that accommodate up to 5 adults. It also has a well-equipped kitchenette. Insurance The security deposit/ standard excess for their 4WD is $5,000 while other remaining units are $3,000. You can reduce the bond for 4WDs to $1,000 if you have a valid credit card and have paid the reduction fee at $50/day. The other units have a liability reduction fee of $32/day and it limits the bond to $1,000 as long as you have a current credit card. Both reduction options offer coverage for front windscreen, 4 x tyres, 4 drivers, and more. You can still pursue the rental even if you don't have credit. However, the bond is much higher. Reputation Wicked Campers has a reputation for encouraging their renters to flaunt rules, cut corners, and generally do anything to save money. This encouragement has been excitedly gobbled up by many a renter in the past and, having maybe gone just a little bit too far, has given Wicked renters a somewhat dubious reputation. Their customers have a reputation for not maintaining standards. Unfortunately, Wicked themselves have also been accused many a time of not maintaining standards by their own renters. Stories of breakdowns and being left in the middle of nowhere with no help from Wicked abound. But keep reading there is a silver lining. On the upside, you can rent them if you are under 21y.o. Wicked Campers were the first successful kid on the block with the “budget” vehicle, where comfort and quality took a back seat to just getting from place to place in the cheapest possible manner. Their reputation grew, and now they are a worldwide company. However, they had a reputation of skimping on little things like servicing the vehicles and keeping them viable operational, and then not giving a hoot when a renter called from the middle of nowhere with a breakdown. This kind of service must have finally started to hurt the bottom line as more competitors entered the market. Even so, they now seem to have expanded their fleet to include “premium” vehicles and the reputation for breakdowns has diminished. There are still plenty of haters out there, a quick trip to Facebook will come up with some Wicked Campers hate groups with a few hundred members. However, you will also notice that they have over 4000 people who like them, hence they must be doing something right.
Welcome to the first vehicle style on offer―a small hatchback that is kitted out with some basic sleeping gear. Do not expect any frills because basically, this is just sleeping in a car. You get a nice s torage space under your cramped double bed. This is meant for couples or short people who only have a small backpack each as luggage.
