A small fifth wheel built in Australia by Venture fifth wheels is suitable for towing by standard Australian utes. Venture fifth wheels have huge benefits over both motorhomes and caravans for traveling Australia

• A small fifth wheel is more stable to tow than a caravan, due to the hitching position being over the rear axle.
• A small fifth wheel and ute combination is up to 3 metres shorter than the equivalent caravan and vehicle combination, due to the bedroom area being located over the tray of the ute.
• A small fifth wheel is more manoeuvrable than a caravan, as the ute can turn at up to 90 degrees to the fifth wheel.
• A small fifth wheel gives you more freedom than a motorhome as you have a separate vehicle once set up at camp.
• A small fifth wheel is simple to hitch and unhitch. A one-person job with no heavy weights involved.
• A small fifth wheel can be towed by a standard utes, light truck, extra cab or even a dual cab - allowing up to 5 people to travel together.

More advantages of a small Venture Fifth Wheel

Many fifth wheels available are very large - over 30'. These are mostly American or Canadian imports and, not only require many modifications to be fully legal in Australia, but need a small truck to tow them. A smaller fifth wheel however, made by Venture, are specifically designed for Australian utes (like the Falcon, Holden, Navara, Hilux, LandCruiser, Patrol, Triton etc) and are designed for Australian conditions. Our smaller fifth wheels give better fuel economy than a caravan because there is no large gap between the tow vehicle and the van.

Fifth Wheel towing vehicle specifications for Falcon, Holden, Navara, Hilux and more

Towing Weights for a Fifth Wheel

There are a couple of criteria that you should evaluate when establishing whether a vehicle is suitable for towing a fifth wheel in Australia.

1. The overall weight of the fifth wheel and the towing vehicle is limited to the GCM (gross combined mass) of the tow vehicle. If the GCM is 4.5 tonnes and the tow vehicle weights 2.0 tonnes, then the maximum weight of the fully laden fifth wheel must not exceed 2.5 tonnes. From experience a Venture Fifth Wheel weights around 2.2 tonnes on the road.
2. Towing capacity
   1. The weight of the fully laden fifth wheel should not exceed the towing capacity of the vehicle
      OR
   2. The weight of the fully laden fifth wheel, MINUS the hitch weight (weight resting on the vehicle), should not exceed the towing capacity of the vehicle

More details on towing a fifth wheel and an example

Specifications for a Venture Small Fifth Wheel

Venture make a fifth wheel to suit you! Built here in Australia we make a small fifth wheel at 19' 8" (6.0 metres) long, and a larger fifth wheel at 22' 7" (6.9 metres) long. Each Venture fifth wheel is luxuriously fitted out with a queen size bed, large bathroom, spacious living area, and heaps of kitchen bench space.

View floorplans and specifications of a fifth wheel

Accessories and Options for a Venture Fifth Wheel

We offer a range of options and accessories for your fifth wheel.

• Air Conditioning
• TV Antenna - Winegard, Satellite, Omni-directional
• Security door
• Single beds
• TV and DVD players
• External mini awnings over bedroom windows
• fifth wheel king pin lock
• Portable boats and boat accessories e.g. Porta-Bote

Photos and details of fifth wheel accessories

Fifth Wheel Hitches, Goosenecks, King Pins and Turntables - ADR 62/01

Every Venture Fifth Wheel is supplied with a fully compliant Hijacker turntable style hitch. Our fifth wheel hitches comply with ADR 62/01 (Australian Design Rules - Mechanical Connections between Vehicles). We even organise the fitment of the hitch and electric brakes to your tow vehicle. The king pin of the fifth wheel is a standard 2 inch king pin, the same that is used for Australian semi-trailers.

More details of fifth wheel hitches and couplings