I’ve skated both and wheel base wise, they feel similar. I agree with your sentiments, smaller wheelbases on these trucks makes sense.
My observations:
Thunder: pro: lighter, grind better, lower, easier/lighter pop, con: wheelbite, not alot of meat on the truck
Venture: pro: no wheel bite, heftier pop cons: metal on metal grind worse
They are pretty similar trucks TBH, thunders are a bit more responsive but it’s nice riding ventures looser. You can get a deeper carve with venture and the stability allows you to put your foot in the pocket and blast anything you want. The thunder you get those little twitches and pop with little effort.