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12 Creative Ways to Upgrade your Inclined Elevator

By June 28, 2021April 2nd, 2024Blog

Building an inclined elevator is serious business, but you should always have the option to have a little bit of fun with it. After all, your elevator lift is the gateway to adventure, opportunity, and peace of mind. At Hill Hiker, we like to get creative and make our inclined elevators both functional and enjoyable for all types of people. Here are 12 ways we can upgrade your inclined elevator.

  1. Middle Stops
    Your inclined elevator can accommodate multiple stories and landing stops anywhere along your hillside if you need it to. Hill Hiker can add additional automatic stops with landing stations in any market. This upgrade takes the standard two stops (top and bottom only) and makes a great option for properties with multi-level homes built along an incline. Some projects we have created middle stops for have an observation deck midway down the hill.
  2. Curved Track and Leveling System
    Angle changes happen in nature, but they don’t have to happen for your inclined elevator. Not all inclines are perfectly straight and the hillside elevator must be designed to match the natural slope changes. Hill Hiker can help install curved track rail with a leveling system for angle changes, so that your car’s floor stays level during the entire length of travel.
    Hill Hiker used a curved track and leveling system at a residence that was featured in the Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors magazine. Another project we completed at a California residence has a curved rail design that smoothly transitions from an incline of 30° to 40° and contours to the landscape.
  3. Cantilever Chassis
    A cantilever chassis allows the car to reach lower elevations at the bottom of a hill. The chassis is placed further uphill instead of directly below the car.
    Hill Hiker was recently featured by Elevator World for a project in which cantilevering the car was the only solution to enable a local family to truly enjoy their lake access.
  4. Double Doors
    Two doors for exit and entry on multiple sides of the car are sometimes a better solution. If your exit / entry landings are on different sides of the system at different landing locations, this is a must.
  5. Non-Standard Doors
    The standard Hill Hiker door is a single side mounted sliding door. But, we can make many door configurations including end-loading doors, single and double wing doors, and more.
  6. Landing Gates
    It is critical to have landing gates at each stopping location / level along the travel of the inclined elevator. These gates protect riders from the tramway when the elevator car is not at the landing. Hill Hiker can customize your fixed landing gate to match your desired color and paneling. We also include spring loaded hinges, self-latching function and integrated safety switches for code compliance with options for full automatic locking safety switches (interlocks) to your inclined elevator’s landing gates.
  7. Hardwood Trim and Seats
    Like a good-quality deck, your Hill Hiker inclined elevator can include IPE Brazilian hardwood seats and handrailing.
  8. Construction Platform
    Sometimes, our team uses a platform during construction before the full car is needed. Then, we can include the flat platform on the inclined elevator to move materials (not people), if you’d like.
  9. Security/Control Buttons
    You don’t always want just anyone to come along and be able to press buttons on your inclined elevator. All Hill Hiker’s inclined elevators come standard with keyed security. But for more convenient access, Hill Hiker can include a keypad/keyfob security system. For a sleeker look, Hill Hiker can supply stainless steel enclosures to replace the standard plastic push button and security enclosures.
  10. Stainless Steel Enclosures
    Stainless steel enclosures simply add a more stylish look to your control buttons. These replace standard light grey color plastic enclosures.
  11. Cushion Seats
    For residential projects, some home owners want their inclined elevator to match their patio furniture, which makes perfect sense! Along with the IPE Brazilian hardwood seats and handrailing, we can add custom-sized cushions and fabric seats to your residential elevator lift.
  12. Car Storage
    While this is not available in all markets, sometimes we can add cargo carriers and/or side rack supports for those making trips up and down their lift with extra gear such as coolers, surf boards, or kayaks. This car storage is essential for most lifts on the water. If your tram goes from street level to home, it can be quite handy for unloading groceries or Amazon packages.
    Other lift upgrade options can include drive system covers, car door interlocks, electric bumper safety systems, in-car communication and alarm systems, traveling cables, and more.

Learn more about Hill Hiker’s many upgrade options and accessories for your inclined elevator project. Our team is happy to help you find the right support option and will work with a team of highly-vetted experts and installers to get the job done.

Not all inclined elevator upgrade options and accessories are available in all markets. Contact Hill Hiker, Inc. today to start putting together your perfect elevator lift system. We’ll help you choose the best options for your unique hillside.