A hulking, ancient vehicle, the Jawa sandcrawler is rusted and pitted from long exposure to the twin suns and harsh winds of Tatooine. Driven by a nuclear steam engine, the massive vehicle contains ore processors and metal crushers as well as crowded workshops and repair rooms. Repulsorlift tubes and conveyor belts form a materials circulation system that runs throughout the vehicle's processing chambers. A warren of Jawa living quarters fills the upper section.

The sandcrawler makes its way across Tatooine's rugged dunes and wastes with steerable front treads. Droids and small finds can be drawn into the vehicle's materials circulation system with an external repulsorlift tube, but vehicles and other large salvage are brought in via an opening front ramp. The droid prison opens onto this ramp, and Jawas typically lead their droids for sale down the ramp, and around the back side of the sandcrawler on the way to lining them up for customers. Ostensibly to prove that the droids are perfectly mobile and in good working condition, this sales custom also give the wily Jawas a chance to polish up or camouflage damage that might hurt their sale price.