Full review

Words: Val Chapman  Photography: Richard Chapman

The Swift Leisure Home Marbury Compact

Amid the rising popularity of eight-foot-wide tourers, and the increasing appetite for luxury, comes a new caravan for 2022 that is neither of those things. In fact, it’s narrower than its stablemates. This is the Sprite Compact, just 2.03m wide (that’s 22cm less than the width of the other seven standard-width Sprites), and weighing only 1,094kg (MTPLM).

Sprite is one of the most popular ranges to be transformed into special editions – there are 25 dealer special ranges based on the Sprite – and the new little Compact is already gaining a reputation as a big seller.

Leisure Sales, close to Sandbach, in Cheshire, is a long-established Swift special edition retailer, under the brand name Leisure Home. There are eight models in the 2022 range, all of them named after villages in Cheshire. All layout tastes are catered for, from the twin-axle, six-berth Wrenbury which has L-shaped lounge seating, to the petite Marbury Compact.

This is a classic two-berth layout, with parallel seating, a rear kitchen and a corner shower-toilet compartment. Classic layout it may be, but the Marbury Compact is a caravan of character – and that’s all down to the package of extra equipment that turns a standard Sprite into a Swift Leisure Home.   

The fabric scheme

The first element of the package to catch your eyes is the fabric scheme. The upholstery’s subtle tones of grey and fawn are enhanced by a touch of luxury in the form of velvet piping running across the centre of the backrests at the junction between the two types of fabric. The two larger cushions have a dark brown herringbone weave, with darker brown edging. The two slightly smaller cushions contribute greatly to the Marbury’s luxury look.

They’re soft velvet, dusky pink on one side and grey on the other, so that you can vary the colour palette of your Marbury with the flick of two cushions. The curtains have a fine geometric pattern of pinkish burgundy on a near-white background. The whole effect is classy, modern, and will appeal to all tastes.

The Marbury Compact provides all that a couple needs, in compact caravanning form and definitely belongs in the ultralightweight category. It's definitely appealing for those who are new to caravanning and want to tow something a little smaller behind their car.     

The kitchen

The kitchen has a full oven and separate grill, a three-burner hob and a microwave. And a good-sized (38cm diameter) sink. There’s a surprising amount of storage space in the double-doored, 66cm-wide cabinet under the sink. It contains a two-shelf area, a cutlery drawer and a metal basket-style shelf, plus space beneath. And, although surface space in the main kitchen area is inevitably limited, the surface above the fridge, forward of the door, gives you enough space for food prep, at 65cm by 57cm. The microwave sits alongside the top cabinet (which contains plate and mug racks).

Extra details in the Compact include a handy double coat hook alongside the door and a USB socket set into the base of the nearside top lockers. The lounge, as you’d expect, transforms into a double bed, 1.82m by 1.8m, or you can use the sofas as single beds. Each is 1.8m long and 65cm wide.    

The washroom

The shower-toilet compartment benefits from a bright white light that illuminates the little room really well. There’s a good-sized cabinet under the sink, with four shelf areas. And a shelf runs the whole width of the compartment above the toilet area. Even though this is a shared compartment, the shower area is definitely large enough to be used, and a curtain tracks around it to keep any shower water away from the toilet and also from the large mirror.

The wardrobe is a generous 56cm wide and has 1.3m of hanging length; enough for the longest of coats. Storage space elsewhere is good considering the size of the caravan. Six top lockers are in the lounge. And the centre-front, 47cm-wide drawer and pull-out table unit contains not just one drawer but a smaller drawer within it, plus a drop-down-doored cabinet beneath.    

Leisure Home Marbury specification

The extra features the Marbury Compact has over the standard Compact amount in value to £2,500 and, importantly, include the ATC stability control system that detects the first sign of a snaking motion and corrects it by electronically applying braking.

There’s a 100W solar panel mounted on the roof, a PIR alarm system with key fob control, an exterior mains socket and barbecue point, and an external access hatch to the storage space under the nearside settee. In addition, there are aesthetic features: chrome grab handles, curtains of double the width of those in the standard Compact, and, of course, the Leisure Home exclusive fabric scheme. For comparison, the standard Sprite Compact costs £18,195 and the Marbury Compact is £2,400 more, yet you get extras worth around £2,500.     

The range

The Marbury Compact has pride of place inside Leisure Sales’ showroom, along with the Wrenbury, the Astbury that has a transverse island bed and rear shower room, and the Henbury, with a central shower and toilet arrangement and a rear island bed. These are the first four in the range to arrive. This showroom is a great place to come for winter caravan browsing whatever the weather – and Leisure Sales has its own eaterie (we can recommend the brie and bacon, and tuna paninis!). And, just in case you think the Marbury Compact is a little too compact for you, there’s also a Leisure Home Marbury of a standard width (2.25m). It is due to arrive at Leisure Sales shortly. This model has an MTPLM of 1,218kg and costs £21,895. The Marbury is based on the Sprite Alpine 2 and has a full-width rear shower room and offside kitchen.

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