Sandcrawler
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The sandcrawler is a fictional transport vehicle in the Star Wars universe that is found on the desert planet Tatooine. Most sandcrawlers are homes to Jawas. They were originally constructed in Corellia for the purpose of serving as ore haulers during mining operations, and many were brought to Tatooine when it was first settled as a mining colony. When the mining industry collapsed they were abandoned and the native Jawa took them over. The number of sandcrawlers is unknown on Tatooine because most Jawa clans only meet during the annual "swap meets" when Jawa clans meet to trade with each other. The sandcrawler is powered by 8 massive turbines to power the treads which pull it over the dunes of the desert. Since repairs are not done thoroughly, sandcrawlers are liable to fail at anytime. Within the sandcrawler are a maze of tunnels, living quarters and rooms which keep spare parts, machinery and captured droids. The front of the sandcrawler opens to form a large ramp though there are also hatches between the giant threads that provide access to and from the crawler. They are powerful enough to withstand Tusken Raiders but are no match for highly trained Imperial Stormtroopers.
The sandcrawler first appeared in the 1977 film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, where R2-D2 and C-3PO were transported across the desert terrain of Tatooine. They make a cameo appearance in The Phantom Menace in the establishing shot for the podrace and also appeared in the Attack of the Clones when Anakin Skywalker asks a Jawa leader for directions to a Tusken Raider camp. Sandcrawlers, or early predecessors, have made appearances in many Star Wars video games, such as Knights of the Old Republic (used by the Czerka Corporation), and Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.
A 17 inch, radio-controlled toy Sandcrawler was released in 1979 as part of the original Kenner Star Wars toy line; a recolored version with a more "authentic" painted surface was issued in 2004.