The Mothership Is a Jaw-Dropping Camper Van That Uniquely Blends Luxury and Functionality

When you write hundreds of articles about tiny homes on wheels, like I have, you start to forget about some of the stuff you've covered. Naturally, some mobile homes are more memorable than others.

One build I won't forget anytime soon was made by Shaiden Valentine. What made it stand out was its incredibly powerful electrical system and an incinerating toilet, something you don't often find in camper vans, probably because it costs the same as an old, bare-bones camper van (around $6,000).

Shaiden also made the rig I'm talking about today – he named it the "Mothership." Why this specific name? Well, it sounds cool, and it's a futuristic term associated with technology. In fact, Shaiden's van conversion company is called Mothership Vans, and this is one of many vans he has built.

This conversion is based on a 2021 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van with a 170" wheelbase. As usual, I'll start the tour with the exterior – this van boasts an aggressive, finely designed aesthetic. It rides on 17" Black Rhino wheels wrapped in mud tires. Moreover, Shaiden upgraded the van's off-road capabilities by fitting an Agile RIP suspension kit with Bilstein front struts, as well as a 6,500-lb (2,948-kg) leaf pack at the rear and Sumo Springs.

At the front, Shaiden installed a Backwoods front bumper complete with a 20-inch light bar, four pod lights, and a 12,000-lb. (5,443-kg) winch. I'm also fond of the hood's black vinyl wrap, and you'll see the same wrap on the lower part of the sides of the vehicle.

Moving to the rear, you'll notice an Owl Vans ski locker and a ladder/spare tire carrier combo. Climb on top of the van, and you'll discover fully walkable solar panels, two 50-inch light bars, and a large Fiamma awning attached to a Backwoods XL roof rack. Other notable elements up top are a Dometic RTX 2000 A/C, a StarLink antenna, and a skylight.

There are also some features you can only see by crawling underneath the van: a heated 27-gallon (102-liter) greywater tank and a 47-gallon (178-liter) extended diesel tank, which doubles the range of the vehicle.

Pop the sliding door open, and a beautifully designed, modern interior will greet you with a simple yet aesthetically pleasing color scheme: black blended with many wood tones. The look is complemented by beautiful lighting, with LED strips integrated into the slatted ceiling and under the upper cabinets.

Shaiden opted for an open layout, meaning he didn't separate the driver's cabin from the living space. However, he did separate the garage at the rear from the rest of the interior.

Usually, I start the tour in the front and head toward the back, but this time, it makes more sense to begin with the rear because of the layout, as you'll soon see. The kitchen/bathroom occupies the rear part of the living space.

The kitchen features a two-burner induction stove, an overhead microwave, a deep sink with a fold-down faucet, a three-stage water filtration system, a coffee station, and a Dometic CRX 110 fridge/freezer.

There are plenty of storage spaces inside this rig in the form of huge drawers and cabinets, including overhead ones. Furthermore, a 24-inch-wide (61-centimeter-wide) hanging closet with drawers underneath provides plenty of room to store clothes. There's also a pull-out pantry with a small "wine cellar" with three inserts for wine bottles.

"So, where's the bathroom?" you might be thinking. Well, it's quick and easy to set up. One of the large drawers in the kitchen is, in fact, a Laveo dry-flush toilet on 500-lb. (227-kg) slides. Moreover, when you need to wash yourself, you can flip down a Tetravan shower integrated into the rear wall. Then, you'll have to attach a curtain to the ceiling using magnetic clasps, and you're good to go.

One awesome and distinctive bathroom feature is a coolant-base 7-gallon (26-liter) water heater. Long story short, it uses the engine's coolant to heat water. All you need to do is drive the van for 15 minutes, and you'll get about three days' worth of hot water.

Now, let's move on to the front part of the interior. As I mentioned above, the layout is open, but Shaiden can use a curtain to block light and prying eyes from peeking inside. What's more, both the driver's and passenger's seats can be swiveled to face the interior.

The middle part of the interior is taken up by an enormous couch on the driver's side and a smaller one right by the entrance. You'll also notice a sizeable swivel table within reach of both couches. Shaiden says up to eight people can be seated in this space if you count the front seats as seating options. Furthermore, if you want to accommodate guests, the two couches can be connected to form a sizeable bed.

Underneath the large couch, Shaiden installed a 60-gallon (227-liter) freshwater tank and a heater. On the opposite side, the other bench houses the electrical system. Given the powerful system I saw on one of his previous builds, I expected to see a similar setup on this one, and I was right.

The 24 V power system's highlights are a 6,000 W inverter and a whopping 15 kWh of batteries with flame arresters, which prevent a fire from happening. Beside the entrance, you'll discover a swivel-mounted Mac Studio display. What's more, Shaiden installed a premium sound system with two speakers in the lounge, two cab speakers, and a 10-inch subwoofer.

When you want to go to sleep, you'll need to lower the bed, which is mounted on a HappiJac elevator system. I love that it's hidden in plain sight, with the part underneath it matching the slatted ceiling of the van.

It's a queen-size bed that can be lowered all the way to cover the couches, or you can stop it mid-way to leave some room for guests to sleep underneath. What's more, a Maxxair skylight above lets you stargaze from the comfort of your bed.

The last part of the van I'd like to discuss is the garage. It might not seem like an important space, but Shaiden explained that he designs the Mothership vans around the garage. He wants it to be spacious enough to hold various gear.

The garage not only offers a ton of storage space but is also waterproof. You'll notice hooks and T-tracks for more convenient storage, as well as two chutes that can be used from inside the van for laundry or garbage.

Since Shaiden is a fan of electric gadgets and toys, he also wanted to have charging points for them and an electrical system capable of supporting the load. In fact, this van's power system can not only charge any gadget but also an electric vehicle.

All in all, this is a one-of-a-kind, meticulously crafted tiny home on wheels. However, as you're probably already expecting, it's not cheap. From what I can understand, it cost Shaiden a whopping $200,000 (€187,424) to build – that's a lot more than most people would pay for a camper van. At the same time, this isn't your ordinary mobile home.

If you want to find out more about Shaiden and his Mothership Vans business, you can check out the company's website. There, you can talk to the "Mothership AI," which will answer all your build-related questions.

Upon asking how much a custom project would set me back, it described that prices typically start at $300,000 (€281,136) and can go up to $450,000 (€421,704) depending on the customization options and features.