Thread: Always wondered about Wicked Campervans

Sad really. There will be no low cost alternative for budget travellers when these are pulled off the road. Not condoning unsafe vehicles, but not much different from a lot of old cars on the road and probablly most of our 4x4s. I do understand the liability thing being commercial rented vehicles. Will do a lot of damage to tourism. The Maui etc vans are not always that much nic, but most are better and a lot more expensive to hire. We see lots of Wicked vans in Esperance and they dont appear to be to bad. If they did the same with all private vehicles there would be a lot off the road. So I suppose all the backpackers will go back to buying cheap death traps instead.
As far as the vehicle being directlly contributable to accidents, I would like to see the factual data. Most of it is more from inexperience, overloading, bravado and stupidity.

The vans might be dodgy but the contents are often excellent .

I must say I'm not surprised, or disappointed that it's happened!

I've seen a lot that look in pretty dire condition.

Just having a look at the website though and the pics they show of some of the available configurations, I don't think I've ever seen one anywhere as new as they show!

Seano

Originally Posted by BigJon

The vans might be dodgy but the contents are often excellent .

Dutch blokes with long hair smoking joints?
A lot of the slogans are decidedly dodgey.

I saw a few of these buckets in Surfers' Paradise two years ago (one of which had the back end smashed in, as if it had been rear-ended by a truck) and all I can say is.... what utter piles of crap.

And out of 86, only four buckets were 'safe', the company should be all shot.

And to think these piles of crap are being taken over the country, in the outback and off-road.

Quite sickening, but not surprising what some companies will do to make a buck, at the expense of others' safety.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

A lot of the slogans are decidedly dodgey.:

To be honest I can't believe some of what I've seen written and drawn on those vans don't violate some law or something.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Dutch blokes with long hair smoking joints?
A lot of the slogans are decidedly dodgey.

The wicked vans are extremely common up here with most of them heading to Broome in the tourist season and calling in to various places along the way up and back. There was a major kick up some months ago with a lot of caravan parks etc along the way in different towns banning them due to the "offensive and inappropriate" slogans written all over them.

I was looking at one closely when it pulled in to an isolated servo last year (Nanutarra)....what first caught my eye was that 7 people climbed out and it only had 3 seats in the front....the law here is that you can only carry the same amount of people as there are seat belts fitted (assume it's the same elsewhere). The back section consisted entirely of a foam mattress.
That's not necessarily the companies fault of course, but it sure highlights the safety issues that are being abused by individuals.

Cheers
Mick

Originally Posted by midal

The wicked vans are extremely common up here with most of them heading to Broome in the tourist season and calling in to various places along the way up and back. There was a major kick up some months ago with a lot of caravan parks etc along the way in different towns banning them due to the "offensive and inappropriate" slogans written all over them.

I was looking at one closely when it pulled in to an isolated servo last year (Nanutarra)....what first caught my eye was that 7 people climbed out and it only had 3 seats in the front....the law here is that you can only carry the same amount of people as there are seat belts fitted (assume it's the same elsewhere). The back section consisted entirely of a foam mattress.
That's not necessarily the companies fault of course, but it sure highlights the safety issues that are being abused by individuals.

Cheers
Mick

Strewth, a tank of fuel would cost more than the value of the old Mitsi Express, I used to deliver their fuel.
The backpackers' bus (note, not coach) that runs between Broome and Port is a worry too.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Dutch blokes with long hair smoking joints?
A lot of the slogans are decidedly dodgey.

More like 18 - 25 year old female backpackers in bikinis...