Deluxe Camper Van Features "The King of Electrical Systems" and a $6K Incinerating Toilet

There are three critical utility systems when it comes to tiny homes on wheels: water, electricity, and heating – without any of these three, it's challenging to have an enjoyable experience on the road. Shaiden's van has them all, but the electrical system is the one that might blow you away.

But before we get into all that, let me tell you more about this mobile home. It's a 2019 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter, one of six camper vans Shaiden has built. His experience working with conversions is clearly noticeable in his work.

I'll start with the exterior – Shaiden didn't hold back on the accessories. You'll find two Baja Designs lamps at the front, a Dometic power awning, and an Aluminess roof rack with two fully walkable, military-grade 240 W solar panels. At the rear, Shaden installed an Owlband Sherpa rack and a spare tire.

Inside, you'll discover a cozy, well-designed space with many bamboo elements. I'm especially fond of the bamboo slat design, which you'll notice both on the walls and ceiling. Enter, and you'll be in the van's lounge area, which extends into the driver's cabin as the driver’s and passenger's seats can be swiveled.

The lounge is very spacious, with room for up to two people. You'll notice two sizeable benches with a dinette table nearby, one of which houses a 52-gallon (197-liter) freshwater tank. If you're on the taller side, you'll need to watch out for your head, as the ceiling is quite low.

That's because the lounge ceiling is actually an elevator queen bed – I'm a fan of this type of setup as it's an excellent way of maximizing space. What's more, if Shaden doesn't bring it all the way down, he can leave space for people to sleep on the lounge's benches.

Other notable elements in the lounge area are heated floors, plugs, light switches, and a skylight, which is perfectly placed to look through while you're in bed. By the way, the lighting is beautifully set up in this van, with many LED strips giving off a warm light.

Under the larger bench on the driver's side, Shaiden devised the electrical system. It's the most powerful setup I've ever seen on a camper van. One critical component that enables the vehicle to have so much energy is a second auxiliary alternator that cranks out 4,200 W, which quickly charges the batteries when the car is running.

With so much power, you need an adequate amount of battery storage. Here's where things get even crazier with this rig – Shaden installed a 21 kW battery bank, which is equivalent to around 1,600 Ah. If you don't realize how much that actually is, most camper van batteries have around 100 to 400 Ah.

Because of the second alternator and so much battery storage, there was no need to devise an advanced solar panel system, so the two 240 W panels were enough. What's more, the electrical system is all made out of Victron components, and four different voltages are running through the van: 12, 24, 120, and 240 V.

I can safely say this is one of the largest battery and inverter setups in the camper van world. Furthermore, Shaiden is working on integrating a system that allows him to charge the vehicle from an EV charger – how cool is that?

Let's continue with the tour – the next area in this van is the kitchen, divided into two parts. It features two spacious countertops, a dual induction stovetop, a small oven, a deep sink, and a decently sized Dometic fridge.

Up above, you'll notice a Dometic RTX 2000 A/C, which, according to Shaden, can operate for a whopping 65 hours when the batteries are fully charged.

For storage, Shaden uses two massive overhead cabinets, as well as drawers, other smaller cabinets, and an enormous closet.

And finally, we have the rear bathroom – it's very spacious and features a walk-through shower connected to a 6-gallon (23-liter) electric water heater. All the used water then drains into a 22-gallon (83-liter) grey water tank.

Here's something you don't often see in a camper van: an incinerating toilet. Yes, you read that right – this 2,000 W Cinderalla toilet incinerates all toilet waste at high temperatures until all that's left is a bit of ash.

This type of toilet can be a game-changer, but you need a specific setup for it. The huge drawback with it is that it uses a lot of power – in Shaden's case, he says it gulps about 8% of battery juice per flush. Still, his electrical system is powerful enough to handle multiple flushes. What's more, you can even schedule the flushes for more efficiency. Oh, you'll also probably be shocked to hear this gear costs a mighty $6,000 (€5,672).

The remaining space beside the shower is used as a garage, where Shaden stores his surfboard, skis, and more.

Shaden has created an incredible tiny home on wheels that's up to par with conventional homes, at least regarding the utility systems. However, to build a similar camper, you'll need an exorbitant amount of money. Although Shaden didn't share how much it cost him, you're probably looking at around $300,000 (€283,590), which is way more than most people would be willing to pay.