By Malcolm Street
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For many, fifth wheelers were something of a novelty, but over the last few years, both local manufacturers and importers have been giving a much higher profile to this type of RV, both large and small. 
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One of those is importer turned manufacturer Venture Fifth Wheelers. Venture is based in Toowoomba, Qld, and for a number of years has been importing fifth wheeler units from Canada, built to Australian specifications, such as having the entry door on the nearside.
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A couple of years ago Venture moved much closer to local manufacturing by importing the fifth wheeler units as completely knocked down (CKD) packages and then assembling them at its factory in Toowoomba.
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Venture currently has two models available: a 21ft (6.4m) unit and the 690, a 23ft (6.9m) in which CW went for a spin. The 690 is an ideal unit to be towed by something like a Ford Falcon ute, a Toyota Hilux or LandCruiser, a Nissan Navara or Patrol, a Holden Rodeo or Mitsubishi Triton.
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Setting up a fifth wheeler tow vehicle is quite simple. The major item of concern is the towing hitch, and Venture uses a smaller version of a semi-trailer style turntable, which automatically couples to a 50mm pin on the fifth wheeler.
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There are several advantages with this setup. The first is that the towing hitch is almost at eye-level, so hitching up is very easy. The second is that the entire hitch framework can easily be removed from the ute tray when it is not required, so the ute can be used for conventional purposes.
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Venture has designed the hitch pin such that even for dual cab utes, the pin weight is still over the axle, not behind it. Also included in the towing package is the essential electric brake controller, in this case a Tekonsha.
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Built on a rectangular hollow-section (RHS) powder coated steel chassis, the 
690 rides on tandem axles with independent suspension, and unlike the more traditional Meranti timber used for frames in Australia, the 690’s frame is made using 
25mm × 40mm Canadian kiln-dried spruce; 25mm fibreglass is used for insulation in the walls, roof and floor, and aluminium cladding covers everything.
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The front end of the 690 has a very raked appearance, and because it is at roughly the same angle as the tow vehicle windscreen and there is little gap between, it creates a smooth airflow. At the rear is a steel bumper bar complete with a spare wheel.
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Windows are all the glass sliding variety – you can’t bump your head on them but they cannot be left open in the rain unless you have the awnings out.
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The almost obligatory main awning maintains the shade and keeps rain off the door; the rest of the windows on either side have individual mini-awnings as well. The door is now a full-security item: triple-locked and with stainless steel mesh.
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There is really just one external storage locker at the rear offside, which gives access to the area underneath the lounge seat. 
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There are also two others; the one under the overhang being the gas cylinder compartment with two 9kg cylinders and the other at the front offside containing two 100Ah deep cycle batteries. At the mid-nearside are both the external powerpoint and the LPG connection. 
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Fine settings
In many fifth wheel layouts the main bed is in the overhang at the front. It is a convenient place to have it, out of the way, and in the smaller units the lower roofline does not cause much inconvenience.
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Venture has followed design tradition in this matter, as the bathroom is right next to the bed, which in this case is on the offside. Most of the kitchen occupies the nearside with the fridge opposite, thus leaving an open area at the rear for the dinette and lounge.
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Internal decor is simple, with a light-stain wood finish that matches well with the mottled grey upholstery and the lighter walls. All the windows have venetian blinds and pelmets. 
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Internal natural lighting is good, especially with the large hatch above the bed and a smaller one above the kitchen.
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Along the benchtop, the twin-tub stainless steel sink sits next to the Spinflo four-burner cooktop and grill. The sink is set at an angle, slightly increasing the benchtop area and taking away the square look of the kitchen bench.
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A hinged flap at the door end of the bench adds to the bench area. There’s also a rangehood for the cooktop and, above that, a Sharp microwave, which leaves room for two overhead lockers above the sink. Under bench storage is good, with four drawers, a two-door cupboard and one floor locker. 
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Completing the kitchen setup is the Dometic 150L fridge on the opposite side. It is actually mounted quite high, which means no bending over to get things out, and it is also one of the new automatic energy select (AES) fridges – no manual switching between 240V, 12V and gas.
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Under the fridge is a small drawer, plus essential items like the 240/12V transformer, circuit breaker for the 240V cabling and 12V fuses. Between the fridge and the bathroom is a storage area with a wardrobe, a drawer and a floor locker.
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In the rear of the 690, the dinette and separate lounge offers a good view of the surrounding countryside – windows on three sides ensure you are not going to miss out on much.
Two will sit very comfortably at the dinette and two more can sit on the lounge. 
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If those same visitors decide to stay overnight, then the lounge can fold down quickly into a second bed. Above the dinette and lounge on each side, are three overhead lockers and there is the usual under seat area in the dinette, accessed by lifting a ply-timber hatch.
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Two decent sized steps lead in to the bedroom area. The queen sized mattress sits on the floor of the overhang, so there are no problems of falling in or out of bed!
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Ceiling height varies between 3ft and 4ft (950mm and 1200mm). Some might find this low but, having occupied many a motorhome’s Luton peak, we reckon this is quite good!
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On both sides of the bed are small bedside cabinets, and each side has a reading light. 
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Relatively large windows on either side, plus the roof hatch, give good cross-flow ventilation.
At the foot of the bed beside the door is a cupboard that doubles as a place to put the TV, since there is a 240V powerpoint and TV antenna connection inside.
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The bathroom is of reasonable size and is fairly conventional, with separate shower, vanity sink unit and Thetford cassette toilet. A dome skylight above the shower gives a good height increase without having to raise the entire roof. 
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Hot water is from a Truma gas/240V water heater and in addition to the internal shower, there’s also an external shower mid-offside. Lighting throughout is mostly Fiamma incandescent fittings, in all the appropriate places. Powerpoints are fitted everywhere it’s necessary, including one above the dinette table.
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The bottom line
Venture was one of the earliest importers which matched fifth wheelers to many popular Australian utes. And that was an astute move on the company’s part.
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We should also comment on the Venture website, which offers plenty of good information, not only on the Venture products but more importantly on tow vehicle requirements – not something that all potential purchasers readily understand. We also appreciated the owners’ friendly and helpful approach.
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Fit and finish appear to be quite good and all components that are fitted comply with the relevant Australian regulations.
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At 23ft (6.9m) long, the 690 offers comfortable living space, yet is still of a reasonable length for stress-free towing and being able easily to enter most caravan parks.
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For more information contact Venture Fifth Wheelers, 15 Gardner Crt, Toowoomba, Qld, 1300 880 433, www.venturevan.com.au 
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I liked
• The size of the 690 makes it a good towing proposition 
• Good head-height throughout, including in the front bed area
• Glass windows – they don’t scratch as easily as alternative materials
• Basic layout, which is practical and user friendly
• Informative website – makes researching the purchase that much easier
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I would have liked
• More efficient lights, such as fluorescents/halogens
• Sink drainer instead of second tub



Venture Fifth Wheelers 690

Frame: Timber

External length: 23ft (6.9m)

External width: 7ft 4in (2.24m)

Internal height: 6ft 4in (1.93m)

Advised Tare weight: 1900kg

Advised pin weight: 334kg

Cooktop: Spinflo four-burner/grill

Microwave: Sharp carousel

Fridge: Dometic AES 150L

Lighting: 12V

Water tank: 170L

Grey water tank: 102L

Price (including Qld reg): $75,500 
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Venture Fifth Wheelers 690

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