Failing Fuso Santek 2

Guerrero Negro, halfway the peninsula of Baja California in Mexico, is a most miserable town.
There is only one major street with asphalt and some dusty, unpaved side streets.
Always a fierce wind blows from the Northwest bringing moisture from the Pacific Ocean, often as fog and sand from the desert.
There are salt works nearby and this makes it all even more desolate.
A town nobody wants to stay in for pleasure or glory.

It was very well organised of life therefore to have the Fuso Santek break down in this awful town.
Without a problem a place was found where they could repair the Fuso Santek.
Autoservicio Futema: they do anything imaginable to a car .



Quickly owner Lorenzo understood what was the problem.
The Fuso Santek’s camper box needed to be lifted up, the old bolts removed and new ones put in.



Within half an hour mechanic José, his friends call him Pépé, was under the Fuso Santek lifting it up with a fat jack.


First challenge was that the old bolts were stuck in the holes.
Lifting up the camper box made the chassis go up as well.
With a hammer the old bolts had to be knocked out like the teeth of an old man.

It was then discovered that the bolts were only 8 millimetre (0,31 inch) in diameter.
It was also discovered that Santek Trailers had drilled 5 holes for bolts.
But 2 of them were not aligned.
Therefore only 3 bolts had been put in the square steel bracket to carry the weight of the camper box.
It had been only a matter of time before those bolts were to break.




In all it took Pépé more than two hours to do the job.




For which his boss Lorenzo charged 280 Pesos (19,34 Euros / 25,91 $) including the new bolts.

At noon the Fuso Santek was on its way South again crossing the Vizcaino desert.

But there was a nagging feeling about the Fuso Santek now.
It was not reliable anymore.
Any moment the three bolts could break again.
Making damage and havoc.
And having to spend time finding a mechanic and having to wait during repairing.
While the purpose these days is to be on location to make new conceptual photography for the upcoming exhibition and book publication.

While driving the idea was born to put wooden support between the camper box and the chassis.
As an extra to assist the bolts.
This has been done but in Ciudad Constitucion a carpenter will be asked to make a wooden support that cannot move out of place in any circumstance.



Was this faulty bolts story an interesting experience?
No, it was not.




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