Full review

Swift Group’s iconic Sprite range spawned a sibling in 2012 which takes Sprite’s traditional virtues of affordability and lightness and amplifies them. The Sprite Lite 4 tips the scales at only 1097kg including payload and carries a price tag of just £10,455.
So it’s affordable, which is critical if it’s to appeal to families in the current economic climate. What’s more, it can be towed by even modest cars, which we think is equally important.
Billed as a four-berth, at first sight, the new Sprite Lite 4 looks ideal as a budget caravan for small families. The ‘Lite’ philosophy is to strip out all but the essentials to keep weight and price down; it has just simple steel wheels, a basic hitch with no stabiliser – and no shower.
 

Washing

For many buyers, a caravan shower is a bit like four-wheel drive; nice to know it’s there if you need it, but otherwise largely redundant. So Swift has taken a gamble on leaving a shower out of the Sprite Lite to save weight and money. For families holidaying on well-equipped sites, this gamble may pay off, but for more adventurous families wanting to get away from it all on smaller ‘no frills’ sites, its absence could be a deal-breaker. And even on sites with good facilities, pursuing a pair of mischievous toddlers around the shower block clad only in a towel is not a prospect many parents would relish. Hosing little ones off in the comfort of the caravan is a much easier task after a day on the beach.
The absence of blown air ducted heating is another issue here. Even if the rest of the caravan is toasty, courtesy of the Truma heater, the washroom can still be cold. This renders it redundant as a handy place to dry your damp swimming gear or waterproofs – especially in early and late season. Moving the sink out of the toilet room to
create an ensuite might work for couples, but is less practical in a family caravan.
 

Sleeping

The fixed bed on the offside offers the prospect of a good night’s sleep but it eats up a lot of space in what is essentially a compact caravan. The Lite 4 works as a two-berth, but with a family on board, the fixed bed is less of a bonus. The problems start when the kids have gone to bed: the short front settees will be big enough to accommodate younger children without converting them into a transverse double bed. But then there’s nowhere for mum and dad to relax with a glass of wine. The kids could sleep on the fixed bed but unless they’re exceptionally well-behaved or totally exhausted, the chances of them actually sleeping, as opposed to tussling over who has the most space, are pretty slim.
 

Storage

For such a compact caravan, the Lite 4 measures up well in the storage stakes. Predictably, there is a lot of space under the fixed bed for light but bulky items like bedding, and there’s further under-seat storage in the lounge.
At eye level, the Lite 4 has six large cabinets. The absence of overhead lockers at the front and also the ubiquitous central chest of drawers makes the lounge feel roomier, although the shelf over the front window is all too easy to bang your head on when getting up from the sofas. If there’s a storage failing, it’s the missed opportunity to take the absence of a shower and convert the extra space into shelving. On the other hand, the modest 121kg payload will struggle to accommodate a huge amount  of equipment.
 

Dining

In a small caravan, the dining options are limited, but the front lounge will seat four comfortably and the standalone table is amply sized for meals. The flip-up occasional table looks a bit of an afterthought, but is fine for coffee and cakes and the fridge is conveniently placed to reach a second beer or top up the kids’ juice cups at the table.
 

Lounging

For a couple, the lounge is fine, although the settees aren’t long enough to but your feet up. But the Lite 4’s attributes in terms of weight and price will tempt families – and at night the lounge becomes the kids’ bedroom. There is a logical way to make this work, though, and that’s to buy an awning. As 90 per cent of caravan owners have one, it’s fine to assume Lite 4 buyers will want one too. So parents can sit out in the awning after the kids take over the lounge as their bedroom.
 

Kitchen

It’s very basic, with just a two-burner hob and grill, but the Lite 4’s kitchen will cope with preparing simple cooked meals for two, or a family of four. There is a reasonable amount of worktop space. The fridge is a basic affair, but has a reasonable 107 litres of usable space.
 

 
Towing

Even fully laden, 1036kg, the Lite 4 can be towed by humble hatchbacks such as the Golf. Because it’s so light, however, we think the AL-KO hitch-head stabiliser should be included as standard to cope with the potential hazards posed by cross-winds.