Almost emotional departure from Santek Trailers

Before to leave Santek Trailers with a fully complete, finished and ready Fuso Santek expedition vehicle, the team washed her thorough fully while on the adjoining Riverside airport an air show was taking place with a Stealth passing over really low.



The fixing of last details was interrupted by a visit to “El Tapatio”, a Mexican supermarket in which a self-service restaurant called appropriately “La Cocina” (The Kitchen) to eat Tortas Mexicanas, Taco Grandes and San Juanito Burritos.

Now that the Santek Trailers team of workers knew the 10 weeks of sharing the building process was almost over, waiting for the food, their courage made them ask more personal questions about work, family, food and drink habits and of course love life.
The customer had changed into a friend.
Ant they were asked how it was not to be able to see the family back home for over 10 years and how they were planning their future in the long term.
The highly skilled technicians had become amigos


It was an almost emotional goodbye of Roberto Millan and his team of highly skilled workers.
They saw the Fuso Santek go like a bird taking off into the air to be free and happy.
Roberto Millan said: “We will see you again, no?”
And of course, any visit to Southern California will include a visit to Santek Trailers to see again the most friendly owner Paul Westphal, the very professional secretary Gail Harris and the great crew.
To show how our Fuso Santek is doing and report on the experiences with this extraordinary expedition vehicle.

Extraordinary indeed.
From Santek Trailers first stop was a Chevron gas station to take diesel.
Which is now 15 cents a gallon cheaper than regular gasoline in California.
“Hey”, someone was yelling.
Busy filling the Fuso Santek again: “HEY”.
A man with fancy sunglasses, tattoos and a body building torso in a tight WWF-tank top, filling his monstrous 4x4 pick up truck with expensive gasoline, was shouting these “HEYS”.
“That’s a great vehicle you got there”, he said.
“That is well build. Well build. Cool. I like that thing!”
“It’s made right around the corner by Santek Trailers”, he was replied.

Next stop was on the other side of the street at a RV-parts shop.
“Hey brother, you got a nice rig, man!”
An Afro American on an electrically powered skateboard was next to the Fuso Santek.
“I saw you there at the gas station and I told my little nephew, that is what I want to have as well. Cool, man. That is really great. What a machine! “

Inside Richardson’s RV a bucket of roof cover was purchased and when the salesman heard it was for an expedition vehicle he came outside to admire the Fuso Santek.
“What an incredible RV this is! And it is solar powered? And it has a Data storm? Incredible. Never seen a thing like this. And build right here in Riverside? Amazing”.

Driving the Fuso Santek is a totally different experience compared to driving a regular car or a motor home like a Lazy Daze.
It is a truck.
With manual transmission and a diesel engine.
Manufacturers of vehicles try to make driving an effortless activity.
To make it as easy and comfortable as possible.
In fact, by doing so, the sensation of driving disappears for a great deal.
For example, driving a car with automatic transmission makes the driver unaware what is shifting gears.
The car does it for the driver.
In a Fuso Santek many aspects of the sensation of driving are still included in the experience.
This is not to say that it is an uncomfortable experience.
The Mitsubishi Fuso has power steering, power breaks, power windows, air conditioning and a horn.

One of the instructions in the manual to follow is not to have the RPM go over 1900 during the first 1500 miles.
This means that for the moment top speed is about 50 miles per hour.
That is an incredible experience.
To drive on Californian highways at 50 miles per hour where traffic flashes by at speeds of over 70 miles per hour.
It gives a feeling that the whole world can go as fast as they like but that the Fuso Santek is enjoying calmly and totally every single mile of the road.

In great comfort because the engine, although diesel, is very quiet and the sound system excellent.
And because of the seats with their air shock absorbers giving a feeling of being on a cruise ship.

Meanwhile an urgent message has arrived that Gumaro Gonzales in Punta Boca del Salado, Mexico, needs a Honda water pump.
Gumaro Gonzales is a friend of over 28 years and much time has been spend with his family at his ranch out in nowhere between La Ribera and San Jose del Cabo in Mexico.

Honda water pumps cannot be found in Home Depot or Sear shops.
Only in specialised shops that are closed on Saturday and Sundays.
Because a water pump for Gumaro Gonzales is very important for him, departure for Mexico is postponed until at least Monday.

There are long times friends living in Temecula, California, and it is a privilege life is offering to be able to spend time with them.
Therefore the Fuso Santek is located now in the hills of Pala.

For precise location click on:
http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3297

Morning light in the Fuso Santek