Sitting on the fence

Nick Oates and his family have built several successful businesses in the past decade within their KN Group, and his striking Renault Range T-High Low is the best advert for it – as well as paying tribute to his late wife

- Dan Parton

Wherever Nick Oates goes in his 26 tonne Renault Range T-High Low 520, he gets admiring glances, and when customers go into the shop of his Harlow Fencing business, they regularly say things like “saw your lorry out the other day, it does look well.” But then the truck is a bit special – and it had to be as it is a tribute to his beloved late wife, Yvette.

Painted in striking all-white save for the black and green “HF” Harlow Fencing logo, the Range T-High has pretty much every box ticked for add-ons. This includes Durabright alloy wheels, air suspension on all three axles, on-board weighing system, cameras at the front and the back and lots of lights. In the cab, no expense has been spared either: it has leather trim, a fridge and wraparound curtains.

The nod to Nick’s wife is subtle but poignant. Either side of the front number plate – KN70 YVE, KN for the parent company, YVE for Yvette – are the legends “Lady Yvette” and “never forgotten.”

Nick and Yvette had been married for many years and had had three children. So when Yvette passed away suddenly in February 2019, it came as a huge shock to the family. The tribute truck was a way for Nick to keep his mind occupied, and to have something tangible as a memorial to Yvette.