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Wicked Camper Review

Air travel in Australia is a convenient way to get between the capitals, but you will only see cities doing this. To experience the rest of Australia, a road trip is the best way to go.

I don't own a car, so trying out a Wicked Camper for a few days was a good excuse to hit the road and see some of my own country.

Wicked are best known for their wild paint jobs which adorn their vans. Each van design is unique, and I can tell you I had no problem looking for my van in a crowded car park.

I took a drive from Melbourne to Adelaide via the coast. This drive takes in the Great Ocean Road in Victoria and the Limestone Coast in South Australia.



Wicked Highlights

I initially baulked at taking a drive in a campervan. I imagined I would be driving a large RV type vehicle, which I had little desire to try and park. It turns out that the Wicked Campers are standard size vans. My van was a Mitsubishi Express, which felt just like driving a regular car.

Anyone that can drive a car will not be out of their driving capabilities with a Wicked Camper. Being a compact vehicle also means you will have a smaller fuel bill compared to larger RV's and camper vans.

Another concern for me was the process of returning the vehicle and having it inspected. I have hired a car before where upon returning it the car hire company have tried to pin a tiny scratch on the car as my responsibility.

Wicked have a policy of no charge for minor dints and scratches. Now that is not a licence to head to the nearest demolition derby, but I think that is a sensible policy, and one less thing to worry about.

The Wicked fuel policy is you collect the car with whatever is left in the tank, and you return it with whatever is left in the tank.

Camping

The obvious advantage of hiring a campervan is that you are going to save loads on accommodation. You can either stay at free camping sites, or you can park your van at a caravan park, which still works out cheaper than staying in a hostel.

I spent four nights in the campervan, and spend two nights at free camping sites. One of those nights was at Cape Otway on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.



I had only been parked for half an hour and I spotted a wallaby by the campsite. The camping area was right on the beach so I could hear the ocean as I lay in bed. You wouldn't experience that on a bus.



The back of the van has custom decking built in. there's enough room to store backpacks and camping equipment so you don't have to sleep with it. A mattress and pillows are supplied, and the van has curtains that cover all the windows.



I also stayed at caravan parks, which is a good option if you want a night on the town without worrying about driving back to a bush campsite. Caravan parks also make for good pit-stops to recharge electrical equipment and have a hot shower.



Camping Kitchen

The vans are fitted out with a camping kitchen at the back of the van.



The kitchen includes:

- Cooking burner
- Countertop
- Sink
- Water Container
- Ice Box
- Pots & Pans
- Cutlery

Having the kitchen and cooking equipment supplied was another great money saver. I bought all the food I needed at a supermarket, saving me from eating out at fish and chip shops every night.

I stayed at campsites which had tables, but if you happen to find yourself in the middle of nowhere, you can convert the storage trays into a table.



Hiring a Van

Wicked Campers start from AUD$55.00 (per day), which will get you a Standard Wicked Van (2 Seats).

Wicked also offer a price guarantee. If you get a competitor's written quote cheaper than your booking, you will get AUD$5 per day less than that quote (within 48 hours of doing your booking).

I spent AUD$130 on fuel which covered 1170 km's. I was driving solo so the trip would have been more economical if I was travelling with someone else.

Hit The Road

If you are visiting Australia it can be tempting to just fly between the capital cites on low cost airlines, but then you wouldn't really see much of what is the world's sixth largest country (and world's largest island).

If you are going on the road for a longer period of time I would recommend getting a book or map on free camp sites. You will make up the cost of the book in one night.


Campervan supplied by Wicked Campers

Labels: australia, cars, south-australia, victoria, wicked-camper

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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