Frequently Asked Questions

Every Hill Hiker® is engineered, manufactured and installed using the highest quality materials, components and workmanship to meet each customer’s unique needs and desires. Because each system is custom designed, pricing varies and each system needs to be quoted individually. Pricing can generally be provided after a short phone consultation or site visit.

To provide a basic price range for a new system, we will need to know:

• Length of travel (What is the distance from where you want to get on at the top of the hill to where you want to get off at the bottom? If you currently have stairs how many are there? At least a guess is helpful)
• Angle of incline (How steep is the hill? Can you walk it without climbing gear or is it closer to a cliff?)
• Capacity (How many people do you want to move? How big of a cart do you need?)
• Soil type (What is the dirt like on the hillside? Is there a lot of rock, sand, clay, etc.?)
• Application type (Is the lift for residential, commercial or industrial use? Does the lift need to be ADA handicap accessible?)
• Location (Where is the project site located in the world?)

There are many factors that affect price including:

• Application Type: Commercial, Residential, Industrial, Municipal, ADA Handicap, etc.
• Local Building Code: Requirements vary depending on State/Province, County and City
• Site Terrain: Length & angle of hillside, access to hillside, soil type, vegetation level, etc.
• System Type & Finish: Winding drum or continuous loop traction drive systems, galvanized, painted or stainless steel finishes
• Capacity Requirements: Size of max load desired, in-cab floor space (square footage)
• Aesthetic Preferences: Car size, design and style, paint color or type of finish
• Additional Options: Extra safety features, roof, cooler carrier, keyless security, etc.

Yes. Some individuals choose to DIY or go with unproven low bidders that don’t follow the national elevator safety code, pull permits, use quality components or even have basic things like product liability insurance, warranties and customer service. Unfortunately there can be severe consequences for choosing this route including serious injury and litigation. Like vertical elevators, these systems can be dangerous if improperly engineered and installed. In fact, the consequences for flaws are even greater as these systems endure more stress over their lifetime due to their exposure to the elements.

Hill Hiker® Hillside Elevators systems are all designed to meet or exceed the National Elevator Code: ASME A17.1 5.1 or 5.4. We pull the necessary permits and are fully licensed and insured. You can trust that our largely American-made components and in-house fabrication will outlast the competition. After 20+ years, we’ve worked with everything from Fortune 500 companies to government organizations to small residential projects gaining invaluable experience in this unique market. We’re experts and will be there for you from the quote to long after the installation.

Yes. Our customers have reported an uptick in their properties’ value. The amount depends on the market and location. We get many calls from realtors, developers and homeowners that can’t sell their properties without first installing a solution like the Hill Hiker®.

Give us a call at 952-476-2422 or contact us online, and we will reach out to you.

In short, not much. In the National Elevator Code, they’re called “inclined elevators,” but many use terms like lifts, trams, funiculars, outdoor elevators and others interchangeably. They’re all synonyms for describing the same thing. It really only varies by the person you talk to and the region they’re from. There’s no right or wrong way to describe a Hill Hiker®.

In fact, we hear many different terms for these systems when our customers search for us. They include things like hill climber elevator, outdoor lift, outdoor tram, outdoor elevator, lakeside lift, lakeside elevator, lakeshore tram, high bank lift, waterfront elevator, beach elevator, exterior lift, inclined elevator, incline tram, cottage lift, hillside trolley, commercial hill lift, hillside home elevator, custom hill elevator, etc.

Hill Hiker’s® are outdoor, cable-driven, inclined elevators with permanent rails/tracks and a wheeled cart with seats for riders. They’re powered by electric motors with heavy duty gearboxes and either winding drums or traction pulleys that move the cable, letting the cart up and down the rails or track.

Much like a traditional elevators, there are push buttons at each landing station and onboard the car for users to control the system. For more general info, check out one of our product pages: Residential Systems or Commercial Systems.

On average, our outdoor inclined elevators go around 60 ft/min. Depending on application type and location, this can vary.

Hill Hiker® Inclined Elevator systems are designed to operate at an ambient noise level that is unobtrusive to the surrounding environment (arounds 60 decibels, which is about the same level as a normal conversation or background music). That being said, the noise level of the system varies based on factors such as the size and type of drive system as well as the distance from the system.

NOTES:

• Max decibel readings shown based on a 5hp WD drive system.
• Max readings occur during the short startup period when the elevator begins to move.
• Noise figures are general and may vary.
• Many factors such as motor housings, insulation, landscaping, foundation types, etc. can further reduce max noise levels.

It can be. Our team is well-versed with ADA standards, and we’ve built many ADA approved and non-ADA approved handicap accessible lifts in the past. With handicap accessible lifts, it’s extra important to have well-designed landing platforms and ramping, if needed, in addition to the design and function of the elevator car itself.

Two great car options:

• Our XL car has a 4 ft by 5 ft interior floor space and comes with a 36 in wide door which works well for most wheelchairs.
• Our XXL/ADA car has a 5 ft by 5 ft interior floor space and 36 in wide door that meets the technical square footage requirements of ADA.

We design each of our systems to have a minimal impact on their surrounding environment. This involves using clean, electric motors and energy-efficient, variable frequency drive controllers. In some cases, we even use alternative energy sources like solar to power the onboard controls or the whole system. In general, inclined elevators / funiculars have a far smaller footprint and less impact on the earth then alternatives such as stairs or paths. In comparison, our funiculars disturb far less soil and allow for vegetation to grow under and around the tracks unlike stairs or paths.

All Hill Hiker® systems come standard with keyed security to lock the controls and prevent unauthorized use whether from children, nosy neighbors or worse.

If you don’t want to worry about dealing with keys, upgrade to our keyless keypad controls. Simply create your own keycode or use the corresponding key fobs to unlock the controls.

Each foundation type offers its own benefits and best uses. Every hill should be evaluated to determine the best foundation options for its soil type, length, angle of incline and other unique features. We offer a wide range of support components to attach our systems to different foundations types including:

• Step Footings –  Best for ease of layout. Installed By Others.
• Columns / Piers – Best for a clean finished look. Installed By Others.
• I-Beams – Best for spanning large areas and minimizing footings. Installed By Others.
• Helical Screws – Best for sandy and/or loose soils. Installed By Others.
• Hydraulic Piles – Best for speed of install and minimizing concrete. Installed By Hill Hiker.
• Buried Posts – Best if concrete is preferred over hydraulic piles. Installed By Hill Hiker.

Hill Hiker, Inc. is one of the only companies to offer a full range of foundation compatibility and design options to best meet the challenges of any hillside. To learn more, check out our options page.

The Hill Hiker® Hillside Elevator uses a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to control our electric motors. Our VFDs can run on single or three phase power, a wide range of voltages and 60 or 50 hertz frequencies. Amperage, disconnect and fuse requirements depend on the size of the motor horsepower. For more specific info give us a call at 952-476-2422 or contact us here.

We recommend an annual maintenance check by a professional elevator mechanic that includes a full inspection and test of the electronics, structure, drive cable and safety systems, lubrication of all the bearings, grease zerks and cable, replacement of wireless batteries, etc.

Hill Hiker, Inc. has traveling factory service crews and also works with many local dealers and partners to provide service depending on your location. Check out our Service page to learn more.

Whether your conditions involve steep cliffs, mountains, sand dunes, rock fields, seismic zones, jungle slopes or river banks, our team can produce a product tailor-made to each site’s unique challenges.

Hill Hiker, Inc. is one of the only companies to offer a full range of foundation compatibility options to best meet the challenges of any hillside. To see how we’ve risen to the occasion in the past, check out our portfolio featuring many unique projects.

Our systems are built with high-end, outdoor-rated components allowing them to withstand all sorts of conditions and environmental hazards such as rain, snow, ice, heat, cold, salt water and harmful UV rays. From tundra to tropical, and everything in between, we have you covered. Check out our project locations map to see what climates we’re in now.

• All electronic enclosures and components are rated NEMA 4X or better for superior weather resistance and extreme environments.
• Our motors and gearboxes are industrial strength designed for constant and heavy use.
• All metal components are either hot dip galvanized steel, outdoor-rated powder-coat painted steel or high-grade stainless steel to resist corrosion and provide superior strength over aluminum and other materials.

Hill Hiker® lifts can be installed on anything from gentle, rolling hills to vertical cliffs.

80 degrees incline in St. Thomas, USVI

There is not necessarily a limit in terms of length of travel. It all depends on the site conditions, capacity requirements and type of drive system being used. Our longest lift to date travels 505ft in the tropical rainforest of Belize.

This depends on the size of the car,  drive system, local code requirements and whether it is rated for residential or commercial use. The following are based on the national elevator code (ASME A17.1 -2016) guidelines:

• Small Car (3×3): 435 lbs residential, 804 lbs commercial
• Medium Car (3×4): 867 lbs residential, 1054 lbs commercial
• Large Car (4×4): 1156 lbs residential, 1462 lbs commercial
• XL Car (4×5): 1406 lbs residential, 1838 lbs commercial
• XXL/ADA Car (5×5): 1758 lbs residential, 2404 lbs commercial
• HD Car (5×6): Call us to determine
• HDX Car (5×7): Call us to determine
• HDXL Car (5×8): Call us to determine

Depending on local regulations and design of the car and drive system, higher or lower capacities can be achieved. Final capacities will be listed on the proposal/quote and manual.

Hill Hiker® by far offers the largest range of car sizes and capacity ratings on the market.

This depends on the size and type of Hill Hiker car, the drive system size and rated capacity. It also depends on how close / comfortable the passengers want to be to each other, the size of the passengers as well as what the local regulations dictate. The following are guidelines based on our experience with standard cars as well as capacities calculated based on the national elevator code (ASME A17.1-2016).

Our recommendations for maximum number of passengers for our standard cars:

• Small Car (3×3): 2-3 people recommended
• Medium Car (3×4): 3-4 people recommended
• Large Car (4×4): 4-5 people recommended
• XL Car (4×5): 5-6 people recommended
• XXL/ADA Car (5×5): 6-8 people recommended
• HD Car (5×6): Call us to determine
• HDX Car (5×7): Call us to determine
• HDXL Car (5×8): Call us to determine

Yes. In fact, our systems are quite popular for residents in California because of our ability to meet the strict building codes of individual cities like Los Angeles with Seismic Zone 4 regulations.

Very safe. From the very start of our company, we’ve designed our systems with safety as the most important priority. With more than 25 standard safety features and over 10 optional safety features, and years of R&D and improvements, we are proud of our safety record with hundreds of systems installed.

Inclined elevators are a heavily regulated industry with strict safety standards and codes but that doesn’t mean all systems are created equal. Many competitors and one-off installers bootleg their products in without ever having licenses, insurance or even looking at the code or pulling permits.

You can rest easy knowing Hill Hiker® builds each of our systems to meet or exceed the highest national elevator safety standards as outlined in ASME A17.1 5.1 for commercial systems and 5.4 for residential systems. We will pull the necessary permits and pass the necessary inspections. Many times this includes performing full load break-away testing among other tests to pass rigorous state inspections.

Hill Hiker, Inc. as a company, our lead factory technicians and/or our local partners hold their elevator contractor and master elevator mechanic licenses wherever required. Hill Hiker, Inc. also has full product liability insurance and a 27+ years of experience to backup all our systems.

NOTE – Like with any heavy piece of machinery (for example: an automobile) regular maintenance and inspection is critical to ensure safety. Our systems are outdoors in the elements 24/7 – 365. Over time this exposure will cause normal wear and tear and the only way to ensure safety is to have routine maintenance and safety inspections by authorized and trained individuals. We recommend all systems have at least one maintenance / safety inception a year. For more information please see your owners manual or contact our service department.

In the extremely rare case that a cable were to break our mechanical slack cable brakes located on the chassis would immediately engage the rails and bring the car to an instantaneous stop.

For reference, Hill Hiker, Inc. uses a minimum of 3/8th in. dia. galvanized aircraft cable on our standard systems which is rated to 14,400 lbs of breaking strength. This is thicker and stronger than what most of our competitors use.

No. This won’t ever happen with our unique captured rail designed track. Featuring C-channel guide rails, our track holds the car and chassis captured inside of its rails. If you could spin the rail upside down the car would still not fall out of the tracks.

Hill Hiker® Hillside Elevators come standard with over 30 different individual safety features and design components. Some of the most important include:

• Emergency stop button – on car and at each station
• Slack cable safety brake – in the event of a cut cable
• Speed governor with integrated safety brake – to prevent the car from traveling too fast
• Captured rail design – to prevent the lift from going off the tracks
• Car door and gate stop switches – to prevent the lift from operating if any doors are open
• Electromagnetic motor brake – for normal braking and stops
• Keyed or keyless security – to prevent unsupervised use
• Low voltage controls – to lower potential shock hazard
• ADA non-slip grate flooring – to minimize slip hazards
• Final terminal switches – in the event of over travel
• UL listed electronics – every system is individually tested and approved by an independent UL licensed panel shop

Learn more on our options or specifications pages.

Most likely, yes. We are truly a small, family company serving the world. From hard to reach places like a remote island with 40 foot tides to urban environments, our team can bring our systems to your country or state.  Here’s a map detailing our past projects. Don’t see your area on the map? Don’t fret. Our team is always looking to expand to new places.

If your project is in North America, Central America, The Caribbean, Australia or New Zealand, we already have experience and units installed in your area. If your project is in the EU, we are currently in the process of obtaining the necessary CE product certification marks to begin offering our funicular trams and lifts in your area. If you’re anywhere else in the World, let’s talk, we would love to learn more about your project and see what we can do for you.

Possibly, but if not we’ve still got you covered. We use a mix of fully self-reliant dealers as well as local partners for specific stages of the project process along with our factory certified crews of traveling technicians that can go just about anywhere in the world. Check out our dealer page to learn more.

If you are interested in becoming a dealer or partner in one or all of our key business areas such as: design, sales, permitting, installation or service, we would love to hear from you. Contact us here.

The installation process involves three stages: pre-construction, manufacturing and installation. For a complete roadmap of the process, check out our processes page. It gives a detailed and easy-to-read picture of how your system goes from concept to moving up and down a slope on your property.

Depending on your location, either a Hill Hiker, Inc. factory certified installation crew, a certified Hill Hiker® dealer or a certified local partner with on-site direction from a certified Hill Hiker, Inc. lead technician.

Hill Hiker®’s portion of the install takes about 1-2 week for most projects.

Project Phases:

• Pre-construction: design, engineering, permitting, planning

• Manufacturing: ordering, fabrication, material finish, assembly, QC, shipping

• Installation: clearing, foundation, system install, landings, inspection, close out

The entire project duration from start (down payment) to finish (inspection) can vary greatly and depends on many factors such as the complexity of the system, material ordering lead times, the level of engineering, permitting and inspection needed, the foundation and landings type, shipping, etc. Because many of these tasks are out of Hill Hiker®’s control, it can be very hard to give accurate and complete timelines. If you want to learn more about the project process, check out our Manufacturing and Installation Process page or contact us.

Yes. Hill Hiker, Inc. owns its own fabrication facility and hand manufactures all our systems in Annandale, Minnesota, USA.

Many inclined elevator companies don’t manufacture their own product. We do. The only place you can get a genuine Hill Hiker® is from us or one of our certified dealers.

We have a combination of full dealers and regional partners that perform a variety of different functions from sales to install and service.

Install Locations To Date

If there are no partners or dealers available in your area, don’t worry, our factory crews install all across North America and beyond.

If you are interested in becoming a partner or dealer contact us here.

Yes, Hill Hiker, Inc. offers full service from routine maintenance to repair and replacement on all Hill Hiker, Inc. manufactured products.

We have factory crews that regularly take service calls all around the Midwest and occasionally take trips to other regions of the US to perform week long service loops. We also work with many local partners and dealers to provide service depending on your location.

We also offer phone support if you need basic troubleshooting assistance or have general maintenance questions.

To learn more and see a complete list of our service offerings check out our Service page.

NOTE – We generally do not work on funiculars, lifts or trams produced by other companies but may be able to help with retrofits or modernization’s that include full safety and electronic system upgrades.

Over 27 years. Hill Hiker, Inc. was founded in 1997. You can learn more about our founding and history here.

Hill Hiker, Inc. has over 580 residential, commercial and industrial funicular, outdoor elevator, hillside lifts and inclined tram systems installed or in process as of Jan, 2024. Check out this Map of our lift locations.

Yes. Hill Hiker, Inc. as a company and our lead factory technicians and/or local partners hold their elevator contractor and master elevator mechanic licenses wherever required. Hill Hiker, Inc. has full workers comp and product liability insurance and over 27+ years of experience to backup all our systems.

Warranty periods vary based on the system selections. For complete warranty details, terms and conditions please contact us.

Our products are fully engineered and time tested. It’s in our DNA. Our founders used their years of industry knowledge and experience in the elevator industry along with innovative engineering design help from one of the founder’s father, an MIT engineering graduate, to create the first Hill Hiker®.

Over the years, we have continually tweaked and improved the design to bring us to where we are now but the basic design goals have remained the same with major focuses on quality, safety and reliability.

If you need site specific engineering or drafting for your project, we work with a 200+ man firm here in Minnesota. They create all our drawings in Revit (3D BIM format) and can provide structural approvals / stamps in all 50 US states and 9 Canadian provinces.

All our drawings are done in Revit, a leading BIM software program in the construction industry. Drawings can be exported in many different file types. See our Engineering & Specs page for more details and CAD downloads or call 952-476-2422 for more specific info.

Yes, for many residential projects, general system drawings, that are not site specific, are adequate to receive the necessary permits and to use for construction layout. By using general drawings, time and money can be saved on surveying and drafting.

If full engineering including stamped structural plans are needed, we work with a local engineering firm that is approved in all 50 states.

If you are an engineer trying to size a support structure and need the Hill Hiker® live and dead loads, please give us a call at 952-476-2422 or contact us here. The load figures vary depending on the specific car and chassis size, system type and angle of incline.

Yes, we work with a local 200+ man engineering firm here in Minneapolis, Minnesota that can approve our elevator system as well as the support structure in all 50 states and 9 Canadian provinces. If you would like to learn a bit more about some of the different support types we work with take a look at our Options & Features page. For even more information, please give us a call at 952-476-2422.

Yes, we have a CSI 3-part and Canadian CSC architectural specification. To download our spec sheet see our Engineering & Specs page. For more specific info such as electrical or landing platform requirements, give us a call at 952-476-2422.

• Hill Hiker, Inc. – to manufacture the elevator lift
• Hill Hiker, Inc. or Hill Hiker, Inc. dealer / partner – to install the elevator lift
• Electrician – to provide power to the elevator lift
• Carpenter – to install landing station platforms after the elevator lift installation
• Concrete Contractor – may be needed depending on type of system selected for support foundation
• General Laborers – may be needed depending on contract terms to assist during the elevator lift install
• Crane, backhoe or skid steer and operator – may be needed depending on project site and contract terms for moving heavy components

Yes, we have several instructional handout documents to help guide contractors with foundation layout, landing platform design and electrical disconnect sizing.

Yes. We can visit the site to go over things. Every project is unique and some will require many site visits prior to installation while others will not require any sales or pre-construction visits. Depending on the location of your site we may ask for reimbursement for travel expenses. Generally we recommend:

An initial consultation on site with the owner present to determine the rough location of the Hill Hiker®, take measurements, determine the type of system required, answer any questions and discuss what to expect prior to or just after signing the contract.

Another site visit before construction on site is scheduled to start with all contractors and an owner’s representative present to layout the final location, share instructional documents, discuss order of operations and answer any questions.

The number and types of permits required completely depend on the project location. In some regions, no permits are required at all, and in others, you may need permits from the state level all the way to the city and even neighborhood.

Potential permit types:

• State/City Elevator Permit – for the safety of the elevator, based on ASME A17.1 5.1 or 5.4, pulled by Hill Hiker, inc. or Hill Hiker, Inc. Dealer.
• Local Building Permit – for elevator structure, pulled by local contractor, Hill Hiker, Inc. or Hill Hiker, Inc. Dealer.
• Electrical Permit – for electrical to the elevator, pulled by local licensed electrician.
• Specialty Permits – DNR, local waterways regulating agencies, Army Corp of Engineers, Hydro Power Companies, etc.
• Neighborhood Approvals – some communities require their own building approvals.

We have successfully installed our inclined elevator systems in some of the strictest places to work across the country including the City of Los Angeles and the State of Michigan. We have the first ever commercial or residential permitted inclined elevators in many States like Wisconsin, Maryland and Georgia. We have worked with organizations like the Smithsonian Institute, TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority), PGE (Pacific Gas & Electric), Thyssenkrupp and Louis Dreyfus Company.

Bottom Line: Hill Hiker, Inc. is well versed in these matters and has the experience and knowledge, not to mention the licenses and code compliant product, to get your project through the permit process.

Yes, we are licensed or will work with local partners that are licensed.

Yes, we carry full product liability and workers comp insurance.

We can be bonded if it is necessary for the project.