Sometimes I want to give a co-author byline on some of these reviews as you all are so good at finding things I hadn’t seen out there. Then I take that experience, hunt down as much information as I can and try to tell the most accurate story I can about an RV.
For example, the 2021 Venture Stratus SR231VRB travel trailer that Frank H. clued me in on. This is a small but really well-organized travel trailer. It weighs in at about 5,300 pounds but offers a really usable interior.
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Venture Stratus
Thor’s Venture division has their Stratus line as sort of a mid-priced, mid-size travel trailer. As such there are some nice touches – but it’s not too pricey. It’s kind of a middle of the road travel trailer.
Among those unusual touches include the availability of multiple colors for the exterior. While many RVs are available in just one color, you can get the Venture Stratus in one of four: red, white, blue or gray. The company also talks about using Lamilux as an exterior finish, so you don’t see the fibers in the fiberglass as well.
Another thing the company speaks to in their videos is the insulation they provide in a relatively lightweight travel trailer. The ceilings are double-insulated with thermofoil as well as batten fiber insulation, as are the floors. And, on the subject of ceilings, the company uses a PVC roof membrane that carries a 15-year warranty.
Heat directed to tanks and gate valves in the Venture Stratus
The tanks and gate valves are also enclosed in the underbelly. That has heat directed into it when you’re using the furnace. I like the fact that the gate valves are included in this thinking. I’ve seen RVs with heated underbellies and then exposed valves. Guess what freezes first?
There is a full 50-cubic feet of storage space in the front pass-through storage on this model. That space is lighted with a motion sensor light.
Another thing they speak to is that the corner stabilizer jacks are installed at a 45° angle to the chassis. While Venture says this makes for a more stable feel when the rig is parked, I have no personal experience to either verify or debunk this claim.
I can say that a rack on the back capable of holding 200 pounds is very useful for carrying things like a generator or the kids’ toys. But being a couples’ unit the generator is probably a more likely sight.
Lastly, Venture’s Stratus line includes the LevelMate PRO leveling system. This essentially connects to your smartphone and lets you know when the trailer’s level. Since, on a travel trailer, you don’t have to worry about level front-to-back as you’re backing into a site, this makes the process really easy. Once you’re unhooked, you can use the tongue jack to level the trailer front to back and lower the corner stabilizers. Nice!
What’s inside
What really floated my boat was the layout of the interior. In a 23-foot-long trailer, there is a lot of usable space in here and several almost definable spots.
I write this as I consider what our next trailer is going to be. Part of the consideration is having a place to write RV reviews, obviously a place for the bathroom, sleeping quarters and then a place to eat. While, obviously, all of these are in one space (except the bathroom!), in this trailer I do like that the different spaces just feel like individual spaces.
For example, there are Thomas Payne theater seats in the slide room. So this could be where you have movie night or even get some work done. There’s a breakfast bar as well. And, of course, there’s the bed – although I wish they had put a curtain or some way to segregate this space more definitively.
Dry bath with glass door
As you step inside, there’s a pantry directly to the left of the entry door, the first of two. Further along the back, the dry bath incorporates a corner shower with a glass radius door. Different people have expressed varying feelings about these to me. Some love the residential feel; others are concerned about the glass. They’re pretty common, but I recently had a friend’s shower door break in transit, so this is front of mind for me.
Around the corner before you get to the road-side slide there is yet another little storage space.
In the slide is a 10-cubic-foot gas-electric refrigerator. You have a choice of what shares that space with the fridge – either a U-shaped dinette or theater seats.
Please note: Even Venture has two different floor plans shown on their website. One that correlates with the company’s video, one that is used as their mai image. We are fully aware of this discrepancy which stems from ongoing changes to production.
Theater seats or more storage?
Usually my personal bias here is toward the theater seats, and these are the Thomas Payne variety with heat and massage, so they arguably have higher-grade upholstery.
But Venture includes long sliding storage totes that fit under the dinette – and who doesn’t need more storage?
Across from the slide room is the galley, where there’s the usual RV three-burner stove and 17” oven.
Below the solid-surface countertops are four drawers. The cabinet space below the sink is almost completely devoid of plumbing (it’s there but not very intrusive) so it could absolutely be the place to keep a garbage can.
Yet more storage in the Venture Stratus
Furthermore, the counter takes a bend and is raised up to form the aforementioned breakfast bar. Under that? More storage. Storage isn’t much of a problem in this trailer, relatively speaking. Plus, as you might expect, there are cabinets above the galley as well.
The bed is a proper 60” X 80” queen-sized bed with, you guessed it, more storage underneath.
But what I like is that there is space behind the closets on either side of the bed for your noisy toys or a CPAP machine with plugs to accommodate those. Then there’s another space below this for a book or whatever. It’s a great use of this space.
In summary
As a couple’s camper this is going to be one that stands out to me as having a terrific floor plan along with way-above-average storage. There are also good, usable features like the LevelMate PRO and those little storage cubbies by the head of the queen-sized bed. Lastly, there is a decent amount of liquid storage on board so I could see this easily being able to accommodate 4-5 days of boondocking with two showers per person per day.
The bigger challenge, to me, is deciding between the U-shaped dinette and getting even more storage – or being heated and massaged in theater seats. I don’t think an intelligent discussion nor a number of coin flips might help my wife and I choose between the two.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
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We purchased a 2023 Stratus VRB 231 last fall and recently completed our first week long trip. We absolutely LOVE this trailer and so does everyone who sees it! We have the model with theater seating and when it was cold or rainy our friends who were traveling with us came inside our trailer and it was roomy enough for 4 adults to comfortably cook, eat and watch tv (to be clear, not to sleep, they had their own trailer). I love the floor plan, the breakfast bar and stools and modern feel of the interior but hands down the best part is the storage. I just packed for an 8 day trip and still had plenty of storage space left. I know the reviewer worried about losing storage space under the dinette if you go with the theater seating but I promise you won’t miss it, especially with the storage under the breakfast bar and under the bed. Not having a curtain wasn’t a big deal for us, remember it’s a couples trailer so there’s only 2 of us sleeping in there. I 100% recommend this model!
I purchased a 2021 Stratus SR231VRB a couple weeks ago. I was really confused on the floor plans and options, especially the front window, or lack thereof (as in the pic of the bed in the above photo). Standard Features on the 2021 Stratus 231VRB includes the Cloud 9 Package 1.3, as opposed to the 1.2 Package on the 2020 models. There are many more standard features in the 1.3 versus the 1.2. The main difference between the two packages is the front window. The 1.3 package has the window. The 1.2 package does not, and therefore the pic of the bed in the above photo could be a 2020 model as the 1.2 package was standard on the 2020 models. There are interior finish differences as well. Too many to list here, however http://www.venture-rv.com has a listing. Another difference is the 2021 model has the NXG Slideout mechanism. My roof membrane has a 20-year warranty. My rear bumper is rated at 250lbs. My stabilizer jacks are not angled because they are powered.
Hmmm. Went to the Venture website. Not sure if their information is current or old. It does not match what you stated. They show the refrigerator as 10 Cubic feet, not 8. Also, they do show in the floor plan layout that cupboard/pantry but don’t name it??
Sorry, Vickie. When I proofed that the other day I mentioned to Tony that I thought he had inserted the incorrect floor plan. I forgot to double-check to make sure he changed it. He’s on the road with limited internet, so apparently he couldn’t do it. I’ve just put in the correct floor plan. Thank you for the reminder! Have a great day. 🙂 -Diane
Curious. Photo floorplan of Venture Stratus SR231RB does not designate what that is in the individual photos of the interior. It appears to be a pantry, but I don’t know. It is on the bathroom wall, is white, and the slide would cover it when it’s slid in. Do you know what it is?
Also, when giving reviews of campers with slides, could you tell us how far the slide comes in and what is NOT useable when it’s in?
Unless you are at least 6’6″ tall, you cannot use the microwave oven! It is at ceiling height over the vent hood! A no-go for most women.
Agree. I also dislike, very much, TVs that are mounted at the ceiling so you have to crane your neck to watch it. I suppose if you have a recliner it wouldn’t be so bad, but I have had to move every single one of the TVs to lower them in every one of my campers.
The microwave oven in my FunFinder is in the same location, my 5’3″ wife has no problem operating it.
LOL….good for her. Apparently her arms are longer than mine. I’m 5’3″ and no way could I use that microwave without a step stool.
Looks like a really nicely done unit, lots of storage, attractive interior. One question: does the U-dinette make into a bed? Thanks for all the great info in your articles.
Greetings, Pamela, and thank you for the kind words. Yes, the U-shaped dinette does make into a bed for more sleeping which is another reason to go that way.