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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author
Anyone hired a Wicked Camper before?
Wendy
27-Jan-2014
10:47:29 AM
Aside from the fact that they tend to be ugly as batshit, if not offensive in someway, they turn out to be cheaper than hiring a normal car to get from Exmouth to Ningaloo. I have heard they are unreliable pieces of crap though and they appear to have the bodgiest insurance policies. Anyone actually gotten one before? What was it like?
kieranl
27-Jan-2014
11:13:50 AM
You're looking at hiring one to get from Exmouth to Ningaloo? How are you getting to Exmouth?
Wendy
27-Jan-2014
11:32:50 AM
It's kinda stupidly cheap to fly. Who'd have thought you could fly to woop woop WA for 320 return?
singersmith
27-Jan-2014
12:39:23 PM
You give them money, they owe you a van that works. However, you might get a van that barely works, works sometimes, or blows smoke, has leaky tires, etc. You might also spend a day or two waiting for a new van if it breaks down, but they do indeed owe you one and it will get there after you get irate on the phone a few times. So if you want to get somewhere cheap and you have time on your hands then they are fine. If you have a timeline to stick to they might not be the best option.

nmonteith
27-Jan-2014
9:26:52 PM
There is a free Wicked Van in the Sutherland Train Station carpark (Sydney) if anyone wants it. It's been sitting there for 3 months now...
kieranl
28-Jan-2014
9:23:54 AM
Wendy, it probably depends on when you're going. In the scheme of things, if you're only going to Ningaloo then you're not travelling any great distance. So if the pile of crap breaks down then you can probably expect help from Exmouth within a few hours. But if you're going there now or in the next couple of months, daily temperatures are in the mid to high thirties. A pile of crap is more likely to break down in those temps and I wouldn't want to be stranded in those temps waiting for someone to drive past, take the message back to Exmouth or the nearest phone, and then for the cavalry to arrive.
peteclimbs
28-Jan-2014
9:34:59 AM
I've never hired one myself but know a couple of folks that have. In both cases the vehicles were crap and needed running repairs during the trips. I've driven a fair bit around Exmouth/Ningaloo and the cape in general. It's a beautiful area but not a good place to be in summer if you're vehicle is iffy, even if you're sticking to the main roads.

Just a thought, and slightly OT, but if you're game to hire something with decent 4WD capability then the drive down the west side of the cape, across Yardie Creek (where the sealed road stops) and then south to Coral Bay is stunning. You cross the creek on low tide (it's easy, just looks scary) then easy 4WDrving from there. Great diving, snorkeling, fishing and waves (if you're lucky with the swell). I'm jealous.
martym
28-Jan-2014
12:43:02 PM
My brother & his ex hired one for Darwin to Adelaide - they did the "turn up naked & get your first day free" deal.

The van worked ok, but the aircon didn't - so they ended up driving back to Darwin after half a day with the windows down; had to wait another day to get a replacement and essentially lost three days of their 2 week trip; essentially they missed out on Katherine Gorge (which they were truly bummed about)

They tried to get a bit of the money refunded, I can ask how that went if you really want to know - but it seems like they got what they (didn't) pay (enough) for.

sbm
28-Jan-2014
3:16:53 PM
I hired one for our infamous first backcountry skiing trip a few years back, and to be honest swore never to do it again.

On the plus side they rented a van with unlimited kms to an under 25 for significantly cheaper than other options. On the downside we had to jump start it basically every time, the AC also didn't work so driving had to be done wearing full winter layers. It had trouble getting over 80kmh but I got it up to the speed limit after half an hour of warming up.

Everyone on the road will treat you worse than a cyclist in Sydney, I've never been honked at so much in my life.

We most certainly did not void the insurance by driving through the night or up the dirt road beyond Guthega power station.

They also didn't pay my deposit back until after a couple of weeks of hassling - it was almost predatory.

Duang Daunk
28-Jan-2014
3:21:45 PM
>Anyone hired a Wicked Camper before?

You want a wicked camper?
widewetandslippery is your man. I heard he'd do most things for a slab of beer.
jono_1
29-Jan-2014
12:42:00 PM
You don't see them on the road much these days and for good reason.

Google 'Wicked campers review'

Wendy
30-Jan-2014
3:23:22 PM
we decided we couldn't deal with their mostly offensive vans or support a company who seem to think it's cool, even if they did get from a to b (which seems questionable too) and I found a special with europecar which brought them down to the same price range for a modern runabout. So we have that.

There are 12 messages in this topic.

 

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