Drawing a thickened Möbius strip in Mathematica

The following code produces roughly what you're looking for:

F[x_, y_, t_] := {(3 + x*Cos[t/2] - y*Sin[t/2])*Cos[t],
                  (3 + x*Cos[t/2] - y*Sin[t/2])*Sin[t], 
                  x*Sin[t/2] + y*Cos[t/2]}
Show[
    ParametricPlot3D[
      {F[1, u, t], F[u, 1, t], F[u, 0, t]},
      {t, 0, 4 Pi}, {u, -1, 1},
      PlotStyle -> {{Blue, Opacity[0.3]}, {Blue, Opacity[0.3]},
                    {Green, Opacity[0.5]}},
      Mesh -> None, PlotPoints -> {30, 2}, 
      ImageSize -> 500, ViewPoint -> {0, -3, 3}, 
      ViewVertical -> {0, 0, 1} , Boxed -> False, Axes -> None],
    ParametricPlot3D[
      {F[1, 1, t], F[-1, 1, t], F[1, 0, t]},
      {t, 0, 4 Pi},
      PlotStyle -> Darker[Blue] , PlotPoints -> 30]
    ]

I have been working on the problem some more, and I think the equations I came up with are equivalent to Jim's. I've combined parts of Jim's answer with mine, made the code a bit more modular, and for the sake of completeness I'll post here the result:

F[R_][t_, x_, y_] := {(R + x) Cos[t], (R + x) Sin[t], y}

Faces[R_, r_, s_, t_] := {F[R][t, -r Sin[t/2] + s Cos[t/2], r Cos[t/2] + s Sin[t/2]], F[R][t, r Cos[t/2] - s Sin[t/2], r Sin[t/2] + s Cos[t/2]]}

Strip[R_, r_, s_, t_] := F[R][t, s Cos[t/2], s Sin[t/2]]

Edges[R_, r_, t_] := {F[R][t, -r Sin[t/2] + r Cos[t/2], r Cos[t/2] + r Sin[t/2]], F[R][t, -r Sin[t/2] - r Cos[t/2], r Cos[t/2] - r Sin[t/2]], F[R][t, r Cos[t/2], r Sin[t/2]]}

ThickMobius[R_, r_, u_] := Show[ ParametricPlot3D[Faces[R, r, s, t], {s, -r, r}, {t, 0, 4 Pi}, PlotStyle -> {{Blue, Opacity -> 0.25}, {Blue, Opacity -> 0.25}}, PlotPoints -> {2, 50}, Mesh -> None, Boxed -> False, Axes -> None], ParametricPlot3D[Strip[R, r, s, t], {s, -r, r}, {t, 0, 2 Pi}, Mesh -> None, PlotStyle -> Red, PlotPoints -> 50], ParametricPlot3D[Edges[R, r, t], {t, 0, 4 Pi}, PlotStyle -> {Darker[Blue], Thickness[u]}, PlotPoints -> 30]]

Here are some example results:

ThickMobius[6,2,0.001] enter image description here

ThickMobius[6,1,0.001] enter image description here

ThickMobius[6,2.5,0.003] enter image description here


I'm too late the hero here, but I'm posting the general form of a "twisted" surface for completeness, which you can easily adapt to your needs:

$$\begin{pmatrix}\cos\,u&-\sin\,u&0\\\sin\,u&\cos\,u&0\\0&0&1\end{pmatrix}\cdot\left(\begin{pmatrix}a\\0\\0\end{pmatrix}+\begin{pmatrix} \cos\,bu&0&-\sin\,bu\\0&1&0\\\sin\,bu&0&\cos\,bu\end{pmatrix}\cdot\begin{pmatrix}f(v)\\0\\g(v)\end{pmatrix}\right)$$

or explicitly,

$$\begin{align*}x&=(a+f(v)\cos\,bu-g(v)\sin\,bu)\cos\,u\\y&=(a+f(v)\cos\,bu-g(v)\sin\,bu)\sin\,u\\z&=f(v)\sin\,bu+g(v)\cos\,bu\end{align*}$$

where $(f(v)\quad g(v))^T$ is the plane curve that makes the "cross-section" of your twisted surface, $b$ is a "twist factor" (e.g. $b=\frac12$, a "half-twist", for a Möbius strip), and $a$ is the distance from the origin to the "center" of the cross-section. (The way I have written the matrix-vector expression for the twisted surface should give a hint on how it was derived.) For the case of the Möbius strip, one appropriate cross-section is the line segment given by $(c-v\quad 0)^T$, $c$ a constant.

For the problem at hand of drawing a "thickened" strip, I use the square Lamé curve $(|\cos\,v|\cos\,v\quad |\sin\,v|\sin\,v)^T$ (suitably rotated) as the cross-section. (If needed, it is of course trivial to change the square to a rectangle.)

Thus, the following Mathematica code generates a Möbius strip and its "thickened" version: (adjust parameters and colors/styles to taste):

twist[{f_, g_}, a_, b_, u_] := {Cos[u] (a + f Cos[b u] - g Sin[b u]), 
  Sin[u] (a + f Cos[b u] - g Sin[b u]), g Cos[b u] + f Sin[b u]}

With[{a = 3, b = 1/2, f = 1/2}, 
  ParametricPlot3D[{
     twist[f {Cos[Pi v/f] Abs[Cos[Pi v/f]] - Sin[Pi v/f] Abs[Sin[Pi v/f]], 
        Cos[Pi v/f] Abs[Cos[Pi v/f]] + Sin[Pi v/f] Abs[Sin[Pi v/f]]}, a, b, u],
     twist[{f - v, 0}, a, b, u]}, {u, 0, 2 Pi}, {v, 0, 2 f},
     Axes -> None, Boxed -> False,
     Mesh -> None, PlotStyle -> {{Opacity[1/5], Blue}, Green}]]

thick Möbius