Sprite Super Major 4 SB - Practical Caravan (2024)

A couple of seasons ago, Swift extended its 8ft-wide Sprite Super range to include the first such model with fewer than six berths. The four-berth Sprite Super Quattro provided a central washroom and an end bedroom with a transverse island bed.Now, another new layout, the Sprite Super Major 4 SB, gives the 8ft-wide treatment to the Sprite Major 4 SB, this time with an end washroom.

There’s something else different, too – it’s not a Quattro. What’s more, Swift’s first single-axle 8ft-wide Sprite Super is priced at more than £2000 less than its sister models. We travelled to Highbridge Caravans, in Somerset, to see the new van.

Pitch and set-up

Although this caravan is a single-axle, with an overall length of 7.54m it is at least 1m longer than the other two Sprite Supers, both twin-axles. It is also well over 100kg heavier (albeit with a payload that is bigger, but not by much). We’d recommend the ATC trailer control system, currently an optional extra.

It’s surprising that there are no external access doors to the underseat lockers at the front – probably one of the trade-offs in what is technically an entry-level van – but there are three big windows at the front, and a sizeable sunroof. You also get a proper door handle, which is good to see.

Lounge

Thanks to the extra width, the comfortable lounge is certainly big enough for four. This area is wonderfully lit during the daytime, via the large sunroof and windows.

At night, things are a little more limited: ambient light only extends to the front end of the main overhead lockers, and the four spotlights are not directional.

Still the row of sockets along the rear of the front chest includes one mains socket and two USB points. The mountain bracket and sockets for the TV, meanwhile, are above the sideboard on the other side of the door.

The front chest has a top shelf that slides out if you just want extra space for snacks. Otherwise, the foldaway table is easily retrieved and ample for four, although the generous kneeholes on the settees could make sitting at it a bit of a squeeze.

Kitchen

There is excellent workspace in the kitchen, as long as you pull out the extension. We did wonder about lighting, however. The window is on the small side, and Swift has included its signature curved half-shelf; it’s useful for small electricals, but could cast a shadow across the workspace at night, because the only two LEDs are both on the other side, over the large round sink and three-burner hob.

At 100 litres, the half-height fridge is adequate for the food of four. You also get a separate oven and grill, and a microwave.

Washroom

End washrooms can feel dark, so it is good to find an opaque window and a rooflight here. The shower cubicle is a good size, but only has one drainage hole.

The basin is also a good size, with a cupboard below and shelving to one side. There is also a small mirror, a robe hook and a towel ring.

Beds

The width of this van means there is plenty of space to walk around the bed, which does not roll back. The spotlights are like those in the lounge – set into the locker.

The dresser is a good size, with a shelf large enough for a small TV, and sockets nearby. There’s also a mains socket for a hairdryer here, and a well-lit mirror.

The lounge settees are only long enough to work as single beds for children, but with the help of one infill cushion and two platforms, they can be turned into a huge double. It’s not the most elegant patchwork of cushions we have seen, but it makes for a firm, supportive mattress.

Storage

Swift compensates for not providing external doors to the underseat lockers, with large internal access flaps. The slats stay up when you lift them, although you do need to remove some cushions. There is external access to the huge area under the bed, and if you need to reach this space from inside, the bed lifts up easily.

Of the wardrobes either side of the bed the rear is fairly standard, but the one at the front is large enough to have two doors, one each side of the concertina partition. This means whoever sleeps in the front could get up and dress in the morning without disturbing others.

Kitchen storage is more limited: you get two more overhead lockers, one with a crockery rack, but only one tall cupboard between the oven and the fridge. The pan locker beneath the oven is neat, but small.

Verdict

Launching a single-axle Sprite Super helps to bring the value-for-money spec and the extra room within reach for more buyers. There are one or two cut corners, but neat touches elsewhere make this an attractive, well-priced tourer.

• Thumbs up: Huge front double bed, well-lit lounge, excellent kitchen workspace
• Thumbs down: No external access to front overhead lockers, only one rooflight in washroom

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Technical Specifications