Wicked Campers

Wicked Campers have been making waves since they started their business almost 20 years ago. As the Cooloola Coast is a backpacker paradise we have seen a lot of these vans in the region.

While we love our visitors and backpackers who light up the town, many people have expressed disgust at the vans. When the company first began they had the public’s support and most agreed it was a smart marketing ploy and their popularity rose swiftly.

However, as offensive language and what can only be described by the most open-minded as filth started appearing, they lost their fans.

There has been much controversy and many complaints made to government of all levels to ban these vehicles or at the very least – get rid of the graffiti. Every year there is an announcement saying Wicked Campers are going to be banned – and still they appear.

The vehicles were banned from registering in Victoria, Tasmania, ACT and Queensland; so they drove over the border and had them registered in South Australia.

In 2015, Wicked Owner, John Webb,was reported to have said: “Moral Monkey Squad are dedicated to satisfying the whims and wishes of the humour-inept, self-righteous moral majority while wearing little monkey tuxedos and funny hats.”

In March this year, the then Federal Government Minister for Women, Kelly O’Dwyer, called for action against the “outdated, misogynistic, vulgar and degrading signage.”

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said: “These vehicles are offensive and belong in a junkyard, not on Australian roads.”

In August 2019, transport ministers from each state signed off a plan to deregister the vans if they refused to have the slogans removed.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the ‘national and co-ordinated approach’ would get offensive slogans off Australian roads for good.

We will see.