When Paul Irving of Carlisle felt it was time to replace his Renault Range T520 tag truck, he didn’t feel the need to stray from a winning formula. “It’s a fantastic forestry truck with the excellent traction that you need working in that terrain,” he says. “It was still performing well as it came up to five years old so I did look into an R&M, but it was more beneficial to go for a new one.”
The new truck, which he describes as “a real head turner” and “a little bit of luxury for myself,” is an ocean-blue, top spec, Range T520 High 6x2 tag axle tractor unit that befits his pivot away from hauling timber. These days, the owner-driver of Heathfield Haulage is doing long-haul general and flatbed transport for Tweddles of Longtown.
“I’m away five to six days a week spending four to five nights in the truck. When I’m parked up on a night, the flat floor makes such a difference. There’s plenty of living room in the cab,” says Irving, who drives approximately 110,000 kilometres each year. “I had a Magnum back in 2000 and this really is the next generation. It’s a brilliant lorry to live in.”
Blue Thunder
Irving’s colour-matched Range T520 High, sold by local Renault Trucks dealer Border Trucks and customised by D&D Fabrication and Chris Wilson of Longton’s Van Wonders, would draw plenty of attention even without its Dura-Bright wheels and dual air horns. It’s powered by a 512-horsepower (382-kilowatt) version of Renault’s 13-litre, Euro 6, DTI engine backed up by a standard 12-speed Optidriver automated transmission. “It’s a powerful lorry, the gearbox is fantastic, and the Optibrake+ retarder is very good,” Irving says. His Range T520 High has a 3,200-millimetre wheelbase and rear air suspension.
Inside the cab is a heated and cooled, air-suspended driver's seat. It’s trimmed with leather, and it has a seat cushion extension and adjustable lumbar support. A ladder-accessible Ultimate upper bunk converts into storage, complete with a luggage net. The RoadPad+ audio, entertainment, and navigation system in the dashboard has a drag-and-drop interface and a 7-inch touchscreen. Irving’s truck also has a microwave and a low-noise refrigerator with 40 L of capacity.
Find A Renault Range T High
Renault also builds the Range T High in 440- and 480-hp (328- and 358-kW) variations. Gross vehicle weights range from 19 to 26 tonnes based on chassis configuration, with gross curb weights coming in at 40 to 70 tonnes.
New and used Renault trucks for sale, including some from the Range T series, are available now at TruckLocator.
