First look: Swift Sprite Alpine 4 Lightweight four-berth
Price From £18,535 Berths 4 MIRO 1139kg MTPLM 1284kg Solidly built yet light in weight, this well-equipped four-berth would be ideal for all-season touring
SPRITE IS A bestseller in Swift’s portfolio. That’s no surprise, because it is a stylish and well-equipped tourer.
The brand, some 70 years in the making, is well known all over Europe, and the Alpine model name has a heritage stretching back more than 60 years.
The Alpine 4 provides a compact fixed-bed layout, with the washroom in the nearside rear corner. Although it is a four-berth, this is an excellent choice for couples, too.
Pitch and set-up
Sprite is a good example of Swift’s style, with the aerodynamic profile, sunroof and smart decals adding to its forecourt appeal.
The robust GRP sides and moulded front and rear panels are well finished. The Al-ko chassis comes with alloys, plus an AKS hitch stabiliser. Corner steadies are easy to locate, while the rear panel also has Thule fixings to add a bike rack if you wish.
The Sprite comes with a good-sized front gas locker, which offers some welcome extra storage space for wheel chocks and so on.
The roof is finished in GRP for additional durability, and the latest Status TV aerial has been fitted. There’s an awning light, but the door is unglazed and only one-piece.
The cassette toilet hatch door is fitted on the nearside with the filler, but otherwise, all of the main service points are placed on the offside, away from any awning. You’ll also
find an exterior locker door to access the underbed storage here. Sturdy grab handles and LED road lights are another bonus.
Lounge
If you are using the Alpine 4 as a four-berth, you might be concerned by the short front lounge, but it will easily seat four. That’s partly because there is no front chest of drawers here – it’s not even an option. There is a folding table, however, and omitting the chest adds to the feeling of extra space.
An outlet for the Truma heating system is sensibly located here, while a mains socket and two USB points are by the nearside seat locker. The seating is comfortable, with two pillows and two scatter cushions.
LED lighting and adjustable spotlights offer good illumination, and DAB radio speakers are fitted by the sunroof near a midi-heki. The control panel for both the radio and the heating system is just above the entrance door, which comes with a flyscreen.
Kitchen
Although the kitchen is not the biggest we’ve have seen, the designers have done their best to maximise storage space.
It’s also well appointed, with a combined oven and grill, three-burner hob, a Dometic fridge/freezer and a microwave.
LED downlights provide illumination, but there’s no roof vent directly above this area.
The large stainless-steel sink has a clip-on drainer, and there’s ample work surface, in a smart charcoal finish, with an extension flap when more space is required.
There’s one cupboard below the oven and another with a cutlery drawer. Two more lockers add to the capacity here. The freestanding table stows in a slot by the oven.
Washroom
The corner washroom is practical, rather than luxurious. A curtain encloses the shower, and there is no window, so you rely on the roof vent for daylight and ventilation. A shelf offers some storage, and the Thetford cassette toilet is located here. The handbasin, however, is in the bedroom, with a mirror above and a cupboard below.
Beds
For many customers, it’s likely the Alpine 4’s main attraction will be the fixed double bed. It’s a corner location, and reasonably large, at 1.89 x 1.32m. The mattress is comfortable, and there’s a smart padded headboard, handy shelves and a spot for the TV here, too.
The lounge seating converts into another double bed, measuring 2.02 x 1.28m, using pull-out slats and the seat cushions.
Storage
The wardrobe has plenty of hanging space, while the overhead lockers are deep enough to accommodate larger items. There are three in the bedroom, with more space under the fixed bed. In the lounge, you get more overhead lockers, and storage beneath the seats. Access flaps for the underseat areas mean that you don’t have to start lifting cushions and bases to reach items there. Storage in the washroom is more limited, and the kitchen isn’t over-endowed with cupboard space, but for two on tour, the capacity should be more than adequate.
Thumbs up
Build quality, comfortable lounge and fixed bed, smart exterior Thumbs down
No washroom window and no roof vent above the kitchen
Verdict
Even though it doesn’t have a full-width washroom, the Alpine 4 is certainly worth looking at if you’re shopping around for a roomy tourer for two (or four). It offers good build quality, thanks to Swift’s SMART construction. So it’s designed to last yet light in weight, considering its spec and build.
That spec is very good, and the caravan would be ideal for all-year-round touring, with its excellent Truma heating.
Apart from slightly limited kitchen storage and the workaday corner washroom, this is a tourer that overall, is difficult to fault.