WABI by Landship Customs

A Sandy Vans x Landship Customs Build

Built on a Mercedes Sprinter 3500 and finished on super single tires (same towing capacity as stock dualies, none of the width or clearance headaches), the Wabi-Sabi Landship is the newest build to come out of the Sandy Vans and Landship Customs partnership, designed and built by Shane of Landship Customs alongside the Sandy Vans crew at the Miramar facility in San Diego.

The design takes its name and its soul from wabi-sabi, the Japanese design philosophy that finds beauty in natural, imperfect materials. Every surface in this van carries that influence: a lime wash wall finish made from sediment paint and a beeswax topcoat, a compressed-paper countertop (an upcycled, sustainable material) in a honey hue with a walnut edge, patina copper accents throughout, cabinetry in almond laminate with walnut veneer, and a cork floor in a limited-run finish that's no longer in production, making this particular floor a one-off.

Sliding Shower

The signature feature of this build is a sliding wet bath the team calls the Landship Glide (also nicknamed the "cloak and soak"). While driving, the unit locks flush against the wall with a double-locking mechanism. Parked, it slides out to reveal a hidden shower cavity finished in a real, bendable sheet of slate.

• Houses an Infinity Shower system for on-demand hot water
• A composting toilet stores on a drawer slide directly inside the same cavity
• The closet behind the shower stays accessible whether the unit is open or closed
• An induction stove tucks into an adjacent cabinet and pulls out onto the countertop when it's time to cook

The Walnut Wave

The main seating and sleeping area is a curved banquette (the "walnut wave") that echoes the same organic, wave-like lines as the wabi-sabi design language throughout the van. The back cushion was custom designed to double as bedding storage: unzip it and the pillows and comforter come right out, so the space resets from lounge to bed without extra bins or shelving.

Power, Heat, and Climate

• 10 kW, 48-volt lithium power system, with the clean, methodically routed wiring Landship Customs is known for
• Rixen system for space heat and hot water, feeding hydronic heated floors
• Cruise N Comfort air conditioning
• Dedicated control panel with displays for the inverter, solar, Rixen system, and A/C

Solar

• Solar Sail Slim (the newest, lower-profile version of the Solar Sail line): 800 watts, doubles as a roof rack, and is shaped to leave room for a full skylight rather than running the length of the roof
• Solar awning: 690 watts
• 1,490 watts of solar total between the two

Skylight

A walkable, half-inch tempered glass skylight sits over the rear of the van, letting light shift through the interior throughout the day and giving you a spot to stand (or, per this van's owner, do yoga) with a view straight up.

Garage and Exterior

• Heated, ducted gear garage in the rear for surf, snowboard, or ski gear
• Exterior shower with a roughly 40-gallon capacity
• AMP Research power step (or a Sandy Vans step, for owners who'd rather skip the AMP Research)
• Finished in a deep blue exterior to match the "ocean meets walnut wave" theme

Captain's Quarters

A pass-through door connects the living space to the cab, styled with a nod to Hobbit-hole design. Custom-shaped windows throughout are cut for drop curtains rather than standard shades, keeping the organic, handmade feel consistent from the cab back.

Interested in a Landship build of your own? Reach out to sales@sandyvans.com to start a build consultation.