full VAN TOUR of my SELF CONVERTED sprinter van!

Season 04, Episode 81: sup crew! haven't done a proper van tour in well over a year now and i am super stoked to share with you a closer look into my self converted sprinter van, luna. luna is the one thing that enables us to be able to chase adventure and keeps us warm, dry and safe during our journey!
OFFICIAL STOKE SQUAD STICKERS: www.lucascatania.com/shop
Business Inquires and Partnerships // [e-mail]
Join the Stoke Squad: rb.gy/ip8be
Patreon: / lucascatania
STOKE SQUAD DISCORD Server: / discord
0:00 Intro
0:54 basics
1:21 the cockpit
2:57 infrastructure (insulation & more)
5:10 headliner shelf
6:35 diesel heater
7:15 kitchen
10:10 three in one
11:22 main living area
15:23 wheel well
15:47 the bed system
17:50 miscellaneous
19:10 electrical
21:00 garage
22:20 exterior
24:15 wheels & tires
25:36 the roof
26:33 outro
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GoPro Setup:
Hero 11: prf.hn/l/lGXngDW
MAX: prf.hn/l/gAOpmR1
MAX Enduro Battery: prf.hn/l/oVbo41d
Hero 11 Enduro Battery: prf.hn/l/dlX1xW3
Ski Pole Mount: prf.hn/l/JzYGk4j
Suction Cup: prf.hn/l/VlRAgD8
Boom Mount: prf.hn/l/RmVk1oG
ND Filters: amzn.to/3VyZIBp
Selfie Stick: amzn.to/3MFGeXL
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SEND ME MAIL!
Lucas Catania
PO BOX 682317
Park City, Utah 84060
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Luna is my 2013 self-converted sprinter van that I spent about 6 months taking from a messy work van to my very own tiny home on wheels!
website || www.lucascatania.com
instagram || lucascatania

[@LucasCatania17]

been a WHILE since i have done a van tour of my beloved sprinter, luna. so stoked for more experiences and travels to come this season!

[@drewflanagan8]

I’ve always loved the behind the scenes type videos. Love seeing all the personal/customs touches. Would be dope to see a mid-winter tour!

[@LucasCatania17]

Thanks drew! Definitely gonna do another one with everything loaded up!

[@EpicATrain]

YOu can always buy a conversion kit to convert it to 4x4 (not sure if they have AWD conversion kits).

[@chump4415]

Hey Lucas. I found out about your channel yesterday and have been captivated by your unique style of ski vlogs. Keep posting and making these videos! Thanks for providing such great content for us!👍

[@LucasCatania17]

thanks for watching! welcome!

[@benshorthouse2979]

50k by start of Ocotober, what a year!

[@LucasCatania17]

almost man! hopefully by the end of the week!

[@miketorre16]

very cool, impressive! Great job

[@davesalvisburg9569]

Lucas, I am a winter guy. Welcome back.

[@LucasCatania17]

Welcome back man!

[@johnytest3474]

Head out to big sky, beautiful place and wonder in the winter

[@ccpmarch1980]

🚐🤙 Luna, she’s a beautiful thing!

[@LucasCatania17]

one of a kind thats for sure!

[@jeffe7261x]

Great tour of Luna. So evident you researched, planned and executed the conversion and customized it to make her your own. Well done, my friend!

[@scotts1409]

very cool- I love your ski videos but somehow this was just as interesting

[@Jakeo1237]

Loving the content man. Can't wait for the ski season!

[@LucasCatania17]

appreciate that blake!

[@cams3425]

Thanks for sharing. I guess you live and learn about necessities with your van as time goes by. Didn't think about the boot dryer outlet until you mentioned it in the video. Good stuff.

[@hmcglash]

Love the videos Lucas! Keep up the good work. Excited to see where this season takes you.

[@LucasCatania17]

Thank you man!

[@littlepony6762]

Sweet Nice Thank you and Great Job 👌

[@LucasCatania17]

thanks for watching!

[@laowai2000]

Great workmanship. Can't imagine the number of hours dedicated to this project! Keep it up. Your channel bound to grow significantly with this entertaining content.

[@seancase3050]

Lets goo another episode! Im stoked for the upcoming season of skiing videos 🤙

[@LucasCatania17]

Aye thanks Sean!

[@jacksultan8146]

What I would pay to be the shotgun driver in Luna for a winter season priceless

[@ADHski]

Luna is a symbol of the patience & prudence you preach! looking forward to seeing Luna rip through the snow and get you there safely to shred this season! let's goooo

[@LucasCatania17]

well said, mark! never thought of it like that but you are right brother!

[@neverforgettr2276]

Let’s go. The snow is gonna fly soon. The stoke is strong.

[@LucasCatania17]

Stoke is high!

[@teqzs2111]

I admire your setup man, dope as hell that you can go from mountain to mountain. super stoked for snowbird this season, hope its as crazy as last year, cheers

[@LucasCatania17]

Thanks bro! Hard to have a bad season at the bird!

[@adventurercarlo115]

Luna is a beast!

[@LucasCatania17]

Haha thanks Carlo!

[@seanmitchum8179]

Hey Lucas, have you considered heat trace for your sink water in the winter? It's cheap, safe and relatively energy efficient. You could pick up a 6 foot section, wrap your water tank and sink lines, and plug it into the nearest outlet. When not needed or water is empty, simply unplug it. Just a suggestion. Great video man!

[@philippefagnant1841]

New tires looks sick!! Cant wait for a new season on the road.

[@LucasCatania17]

nice to see you brother!

[@philippefagnant1841]

@@LucasCatania17 you too dude, take care!

[@davidhudson7400]

been a while since I’ve seen one of your vids; good to see they’re still amazing since when I first started watching two years ago! how did you find the electrics, they seem to be the most daunting part?

[@tombarkley7245]

Such a sick van design. Love getting a nosey at peoples set ups. Think I'll be getting my first campervan early next year - but will probably get a self built one over doing the whole fit out myself

[@LucasCatania17]

Nice man!! maybe I’ll see you out on the road then!

[@Ice_Coast_Ski]

Omg. Makes me want to quit my job, get a van and just roam the west coast big mtn circuit. So sick. Livin’ the dream for us All!

[@LucasCatania17]

nah definitely dont do that haha!!

[@ericpaules520]

Before ski season starts it would be really cool for a video on how you got into racing.

[@LucasCatania17]

unfortunately, racing is the least watched activity that i put on the channel! will likely just stick with skiing and mtb from here on out.

[@aaallllen]

I keep looking at van life videos and I like your design especially since I'm tall and would like to carry snowboards. The bench and drop down desk looks comfy for digital nomad life, too. What are thinking for the water upgrade? An over-wheel tank? I'm still not sure how those wouldn't freeze.

[@LucasCatania17]

i wouldnt do an over-wheel tank, because i would lose almost all of my garage space. i probably wont do any upgrade and just keep it how i do for the winter months!

[@0xCUBE]

awesome tour!!! How do you handle the heat in the summer?

[@LucasCatania17]

Thanks dude! The heat is a lot harder to deal with than the cold imo. Luckily it never gets super hot in the summer in the mountains but typically just gotta stick it out and wait for it to cool at night hah

[@alainbrouillaud484]

Lucas… you are quite resourceful! I was wondering about your solar panels… do they give you all the power you need for the day?

[@LucasCatania17]

Yeah! If the sun is out all day, they usually do a good job to recharge my batteries!

[@kristoferland1283]

Do some of the latches and other diy aspects of the van makes lots of noise while driving? Did you have to adjust anything because of sound?

[@LucasCatania17]

the only thing that made a good amount of noise initially was the oak top on the wheel well storage. i ended up putting some foam pads underneath to help the rattle when i drive!

[@yoshi-is2zi]

the engineering behind this incredible - did you cad a design beforehand?

[@LucasCatania17]

thanks! no CAD beforehand, no. just good old pen and paper!

[@stevendettor]

Would love to hear you story on how much money you saved before starting van life, realistic savings to start, etc... I have a van, just torn on where to start with money security 😬

[@LucasCatania17]

i think it really depends on a lot of things. type of van, what you want the buildout to look like. my advice would be to expect everything to take twice as long and cost twice as much. i had about $10,000 saved when I started my build initially. i've added things over the years to get to what you see now! thanks for watching brother.

[@stevendettor]

Oh no I already have a fully built van! I was talking more of the "how much money saved" aspect and how long it took you to monetize to do this full time 😄 @@LucasCatania17

[@LucasCatania17]

@@stevendettor - oh i see. i was doing this as a side hustle on the weekends for about 4 years before it was finally in a place where it was making some real money in the winter! i went full time october 2022!

[@stevendettor]

Gotcha, smart moves! As always keep up the vibes! @@LucasCatania17

[@windyra]

Do you think AWD van is necessary or extremely helpful for winter trips?

[@LucasCatania17]

i mean, i think i'm proof that its not necessary, but its definitely extremely helpful. if not AWD, it is paramount that you have snow specific tires and carry tire chains.

[@PeterDavis-nj5tc]

Lucas, that was a totally Keeool build-out video. Functional and beautiful. I bookmarked that for the day if I ever do something like this. A couple of questions: Do you have a tank heater to plug in to keep the engine water warm on super cold nights? Are the latches on the cabinets strong enough they don't open in ''crazy'' maneuvers? Looking forward to the new gear roll-out.

[@LucasCatania17]

thanks peter! i do not have a block heater or tank heater at the moment. talked about potentially installing one, but nothing like that for now. and i put bungees chords over the cabinets (not shown in the video) as a safety measure when driving. the latches are not strong enough on their own! thanks for watching!

[@PeterDavis-nj5tc]

@@LucasCatania17 I'll see you tomorrow on stream! Here's a trick I learned from some Minnesota friends when your vehicle won't start on ultra cold(-40-) days. It had been -70 overnight and -50 in the am and no ones cars were starting and no AAA. My buddy said ''No problem.'' He grabbed the metal top off the trash, spread some charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid over it and fired up the coals. 20 min. later when the coals were nice and hot he shoved them under the car engine. 40 min later(still -45) he turned the key and it fired right up, no hesitation, Unbelievable. I've used it since, it works. Something for the bag of tricks.

[@loganlopas7]

Where do you camp when you are out on ski trips? NFS/BLM campsites, paid campgrounds or are finding parking lots and pull offs? Being that you’re van is 2WD, do you have issues getting to camping spots if snow is bad? Sweet setup! Just curious how you do it as you probably save a ton not staying at rentals/resort condos, ect.

[@LucasSouza-qz8if]

So why did you use sheep wool specifically out of foam or fiber glass?

[@LucasCatania17]

spray foam is known to expand and damage the walls of a van (not to mention the chemicals/toxins that id be breathing in with spray foam) and id rather not be surrounded by fiberglass insulation in a van lol.

[@jacksultan8146]

Getting her geared up for the powder year ahead oh yeah let's all pile on and enjoy the show maybe it's going to be a pow pow show...... Hope we get a year like last year

[@LucasCatania17]

for sure!

[@MysteryBop]

What's the bathroom situation like? Do you just stop at rest stops?

[@LucasCatania17]

yah i use a bottle for #1 and always take advantage of a bathroom when im near one for other business. ski lodges, gas stations, grocery stores etc.

[@milesunderhill9056]

how do you workout? do you just do pushups/pullups or what

[@LucasCatania17]

when im in the van, i work out at the rec centers and fieldhouses i find along the way.

[@Meganiach]

Я завидую тебе. Жду новые видео. Поехали

[@ThatRedMachinist]

You should be keeping that carbon monoxide low since CO is heavier then air and sinks

[@LucasCatania17]

sweet, thanks!

[@ericgulseth74]

I have a 30 foot bunkhouse camper with 35 gallon black and grey tanks wirh 80 gallons of fresh water. Not sure how you do it. Of course you're not toating around 5 more people either!😂

[@LucasCatania17]

geez man that is huge!! i go through about 1-1.5 gal a day when im out on the road!

[@blinktq1579]

How much weight did you end up adding?

[@LucasCatania17]

i'm not sure. i've always meant to weigh my van when I go to truck stops, but never end up doing it.

[@darinsmith2458]

My big thing is batteries.. When I lived in Northern Wisconsin during the winter my batteries would die.. Cold weather sure drains batteries.. I was at Lowes the other day and I see that there is now a battery operated snowblower.. They have a couple models.. One says that it shoots the snow 60 feet and another says it shoots the snow 50 feet.. That is a lot of power.. Generally you will leave them in a shed or the garage and both are cold so how do you keep the batteries from draining and dying???

[@LucasCatania17]

hey darin! my batteries are always getting charged by the solar panel up top or by the van alternator when i start driving. also, deep cycle batteries are meant to be discharged and charged over and over again. thats why i upgraded to the self-heating batteries this year so they stay warm!

[@darinsmith2458]

@@LucasCatania17 Sweet.. I know that an electric heater takes a lot of electricity and I know you run your diesel for heat but do you also have an electric heater just in case?

[@jacksultan8146]

To clarify how about riding shotgun

[@NeouItier]

What's the ref of the starlink booster?

[@LucasCatania17]

what do you mean?

[@NeouItier]

@@LucasCatania17 On your van roof, you have the starlink and you say the kind of tube is a booster!?

[@LucasCatania17]

@@NeouItier - oh gotcha. the black tube is a weboost cell booster that i installed years ago. since then, starlink came out and somewhat made cell boosters obsolete imo. the booster is not associated at all with starlink.

[@NeouItier]

@@LucasCatania17 Ok, i have the starlink to, i was wondering, thx. 😉

[@willpollard4983]

toilet ?