Essential tips when hitting the road in a Wicked Camper
Before you leave
Choosing the right campervan for you.
Ask yourself these questions – How many people are travelling? How much space will you require? Is your trip long enough? Money – are you covered?
If possible, I recommend dropping in at one of our depots before booking, checking out the vehicles available and see it all for yourself. You don’t want to go and book a massive roadtrip without sussing out our vans first. Jump online and get an idea of our campervan sizes. Our budget campervans can cater for up to 5 people. If there’s just 2 of you travelling, then why not consider our Iconic 2/3-Seater campervans. They come with 2 or 3 seats in the front, a decent size bed in the middle (including storage) and a kitchen in the back – perfect. Alternatively, if you’re a couple and after something a little bit more flashy, our Premium 2-Seaters will provide the goods.
If you want something a bit bigger, than our Fanastic 5-Seater campervans might be of interest. With a rooftop tent sleeping up to 3 people and a bed inside sleeping 2, our Fantastic 5-seater campervans offer plenty of space and comfort.
Think you’ll need something even bigger? Then why not consider one of our tour buses. These guys will sort you out proper.
Man, we have a whole range of categories to suit, check them out and see what fits you.
If you’ve put together a rough itinerary, do some research on how long you’d want to spend at each destination. It’s better to overcompensate, as you’ll discover plenty of hidden gems along the way…and boy will those extra days come in handy. Trust me, the last thing you want to do is discover some remote beaches in the NT and have to move on the next day!
Whilst we’re all about spontaneity, a rough idea of the route you want to take will help keep your roadtrip smooth, avoid any unneccessary arguments and keep the good vibes rolling! Australia is huge – just jump on Google Maps and get an idea of travel distances between each of your destinations.
Money. Without stating the obvious – petrol and food are your necessities. Budget a small amount each day and you’ll be sweet. Just don’t get pissed and spend into your petrol money….that’s going to affect your trip drastically. If you’re worried about petrol costs, hit up our staff in the depots or give our roadtrip planners a call. We can offer some guidance, which will hopefully ease those finance worries a little bit.
Document check list
Don’t rock up to the Wicked depot and forget your driver license you dingbat! People do and believe me, save yourself the embarrassment – arrive a little bit prepared. Essential documents for the trip will include:
– Driver’s license (both international and home license if travelling from overseas)
– Visa documents (not essential for picking up a campervan, but you never know what might happen on the road)
– Health and travel documents
– Road maps / GPS (if you need a GPS just holla, we hire ‘em for $5.00 a day)
Pre-book camping spots
If your roadtrip falls along school holidays or a public holiday, chances are you’ll need to book a camping site in advance. Best bet would be to jump on google and do a quick search of important dates which may occur during your roadtrip. This isn’t completely essential however, as you know we’re all about pulling over and crashing at places on the fly.
However if you’re trip falls during summer holidays or peak season, you may want to suss a few camping sites for that peace of mind…and a good shower. Check out our list of recommended campsites here.
Stock up on some grub
Stock up at a local supermarket before hitting the road. Last thing you want to do is pick up your campervan, get lost trying to find a store, waste time and cause yourself a headache. Ask our guys in the depot for a map to the nearest store, or stock up on some supplies before-hand. Don’t fall into the trap of buying food from petrol stations. They’ll put a big whole in your pocket man – there’s a servo near me selling a loaf of bread for $6.00. What a wasteman! Besides, you’ll need to stock up on booze right? Grab your grub at the same time.
I don’t want to sound like your nagging mother right now, but once you’re on the road, please remember the cliche of; stop, revive and survive. I know this sounds lame, but seriously, just do it. It’s recommended that you only drive for up to two hours at a time, taking regular stops when possible. Share the driving and recharge at every opportunity. Awareness is the key! Fuck yeah.
Petrol stops
This is a biggie. Our Iconic campervans can do roughly 400kms on a full tank, with our Mini Campers being even more fuel efficient. The cost of petrol will be the biggest outgoing on your road trip. Fill up when necessary and don’t freak out, you’re not going to run out of fuel ffs.
Petrol stations frequent the roads. Don’t stress, don’t over spend when you don’t have too. If it’s a hot day and you’ve got your air-con cranking, just bare in mind the fuel it’ll be sucking. Sometimes you just gotta get a little sweaty man.
Water
Essential yeah. Surely I don’t need to go into this one. Always carry enough for you and your vehicle at all times and remember to rehydrate regularly.
Maintenance
As stated all over our website and on your rental agreement, it is your responsibility to look after your campervan. Treat it like it was your own vehicle and carry out basic maintenance checks when required – only really essential for those long trips i.e. Darwin to Perth or somewhere. Our hires each come with Roadside Assistance to give you that extra piece of mind. Any probs, give our roadside doc a shout. No swearing please.
Besides, our depot guys will show you the basics if required. Oil and water checks, locating the battery, tyre pressures…these are the essentials you should know when renting any campervan to be honest.
If you’re hiring one of our Fantastic 5-seaters or a vehicle equipped with a rooftop tent or stage, it’d be worth noting down the height. Don’t be one of those dingbats and drive into a low ceiling carpark. It’s happened before. This one time, we had some customers fuck up the sprinkler system of an underground car park, causing thousands in maintenance fees. You’ve been warned man!
Exploring…outside your Wicked Camper
Obviously there’s going to be plenty of occasions where you’ll be exploring on foot. Australia is known for its extreme conditions, which I hope you would have prepared for before-hand.
Sunscreen – an obvious one. Don’t forget that shit man! The sun is harsh out here, cover up at all times, wear a good factor and try keep in the shade if possible. You don’t want to be that guy who got fucked over by the sun.
It’s happened to me once on a roadtrip from Melbourne to Sydney. Needless to say, I was sick as a dog. Arrived in Sydney, got to the hostel and had to sleep through the entire weekend – it sucked balls. My mate was left to make some new friends and I was stuck in an 8 bed dorm, where sleep was clearly non-existent. I still get shivers thinking about it. Ahh the light…on, off, on, off. The fucking light ffs.
Bushwalking – if you’re headed out bush, make sure you wear hats, appropriate footwear and bring plenty of water. Preferably you’d have done some research on the excursion, if not you’d be in a guided group or similar. You hear about those stories of backpackers and locals getting lost in the bush – don’t be the next one.
Most routes will have a sign with showing the lenght and difficulty of the track, don’t go ignoring that shit and end up sleeping on a rock somewhere surrounded by snakes and other dangerous fuck heads. Stick to the paths and if you’re in a group, don’t split up!
Campfires – depending on the time of year, there may be restrictions in place in regards to lighting campfires. Bushfires are a common occurrence in Australia and you must always abide by the current rules in place. Each state in Australia will have a website providing frequent updates on an area. Here’s an example taken from the WA site: http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/alerts/Pages/alertsmap.aspx
Check in advance. If you do decide to have a campfire, then make sure you keep water nearby and that the fire is completely out when it’s time to hit the hay.
