Car & Chassis
Drive System
Electrical Control Panel
Track Rail
Landing Platform (by others)
*Sample system shown. Each Hill Hiker® hillside lift system is custom designed and configured.
Hill Hiker® Residential Inclined Elevator System
Hill Hiker, Inc. offers high-quality residential inclined elevator systems to meet whatever your needs may be. We use our years of industry knowledge and experience to help provide our customers with the highest quality, safest and most reliable solutions custom made to meet their specific needs and aesthetic preferences.
Quality | Safety | Reliability
Forget the hours spent trudging up and down the stairs from the dock, patio, garage, etc. to the house. Hill Hiker® residential hillside elevator lifts and funicular trams provide a convenient way to get your family, friends and supplies safely up and down steep inclines. Hill Hiker, Inc. is here to help every step of the way.
Design | Manufacture | Install | Service
Vast Capabilities
Hill Hiker, Inc. has experience working all over the US and much of the World on many different types of projects, for many different types of owners and in many different types of weather climates. Providing access to our customer’s lakes, rivers, ocean waterfront, garages, pools, gardens, homes, cabins, cottages, etc. from Alaska to Australia and Dubai to Hawaii.
With the most capability in the industry we pride ourselves on our ability to serve our customer wherever they are in the world and with over 27 years of experience, Hill Hiker, Inc. is here to guide you every step of the way.
Project Locations
Quality Materials & Components
Hill Hiker, Inc. prides itself on using only high quality, long lasting components. We strive to make our systems the most reliable and well built on the market. We are confident if you ask around and compare our systems, including each individual component, you will find out why we lead the industry.
Here are a few highlights based on a standard residential system:
Drive Unit
- Industrial strength outdoor rated American made gearboxes & motors with integrated brakes
- Solid SS through shafts and grooved drums
Car
- Fully customizable design
- Poly-carbonate walls & ADA non-slip flooring
- Composite wood or ipe Brazilian hardwood trim & seats boards
Electronics
- UL certified & tested control panels
- NEMA 4x outdoor rated enclosures & components
- IP67 weather protection rated & ASME A17.5 elevator approved switches
- VFD for soft start/slow down, etc.
Structure
- Stainless steel, galvanized or powder coat paint finishes
- Superior captured rail track design
- Stainless steel bolts, shafts, springs, etc.
Hill Hiker®
Other Guys
Track Guide Rails
Captured Rail Design (car rides captured inside the track guide rails to prevent escape)
Cart rides on top of track guide rails
Track Cross Members
Every 1ft
Every 5ft
Support Options
Pin Piles, Concrete Collumns, Concrete Slabs, I-beams, Helical Piles, Buried Posts, Etc.
Pin Piles
Angle of Incline Capability
Up to 70 deg (up to 90 deg depending on local regulation)
Up to 50 deg
Gearbox
Double Reduction, Worm to Worm (safer than helical design) - Made in USA
Single Reduction - Made in China
Drive Shaft
Solid 2"+ dia. steel shafting through entire gearbox, drum & support bearing
Undersized shafts or unsafe multi-part shaft coupling systems
Motor
5 hp - Made in Germany (options up to 20hp)
3 hp - Made in China
Cable Diameter
3/8 in min. (14,400 lb breaking strength)
1/4 in (7,000 lb breaking strength)
Frame Material
100% Steel
Steel / Aluminum
Track & Car Hardware
100% Stainless Steel
Galvanized
Car Seating
2 Bench seats
1 Bench seat
Car Paneling
See-through Polycarbonate
Metal cage
Car Flooring
ADA compliant, slip resistant, marine grade fibergrate
Metal or wood
Note – Comparison is based on observations made over the years and is by no means a complete list.
Note – Comparison is not between only one specific competitor.
Standard System Comparison:
Track Guide Rails
Hill Hiker®:
Captured Rail Design (car rides captured inside the track guide rails to prevent escape)
Captured Rail Design (car rides captured inside the track guide rails to prevent escape)
Other Guys:
Cart rides on top of track guide rails
Cart rides on top of track guide rails
Track Cross Members
Hill Hiker®:
Every 1ft
Every 1ft
Other Guys:
Every 5ft
Every 5ft
Support Options
Hill Hiker®:
Pin Piles, Concrete Collumns, Concrete Slabs, I-beams, Helical Piles, Buried Posts, Etc.
Pin Piles, Concrete Collumns, Concrete Slabs, I-beams, Helical Piles, Buried Posts, Etc.
Other Guys:
Pin Piles
Pin Piles
Angle of Incline Capability
Hill Hiker®:
Up to 70 deg (up to 90 deg depending on local regulation)
Up to 70 deg (up to 90 deg depending on local regulation)
Other Guys:
Up to 50 deg
Up to 50 deg
Gearbox
Hill Hiker®:
Double Reduction, Worm to Worm (safer than helical design) - Made in USA
Double Reduction, Worm to Worm (safer than helical design) - Made in USA
Other Guys:
Single Reduction - Made in China
Single Reduction - Made in China
Drive Shaft
Hill Hiker®:
Solid 2"+ dia. steel shafting through entire gearbox, drum & support bearing
Solid 2"+ dia. steel shafting through entire gearbox, drum & support bearing
Other Guys:
Undersized shafts or unsafe multi-part shaft coupling systems
Undersized shafts or unsafe multi-part shaft coupling systems
Motor
Hill Hiker®:
5 hp - Made in Germany (options up to 20hp)
5 hp - Made in Germany (options up to 20hp)
Other Guys:
3 hp - Made in China
3 hp - Made in China
Cable Diameter
Hill Hiker®:
3/8 in min. (14,400 lb breaking strength)
3/8 in min. (14,400 lb breaking strength)
Other Guys:
1/4 in (7,000 lb breaking strength)
1/4 in (7,000 lb breaking strength)
Frame Material
Hill Hiker®:
100% Steel
100% Steel
Other Guys:
Steel / Aluminum
Steel / Aluminum
Track & Car Hardware
Hill Hiker®:
100% Stainless Steel
100% Stainless Steel
Other Guys:
Galvanized
Galvanized
Car Seating
Hill Hiker®:
2 Bench seats
2 Bench seats
Other Guys:
1 Bench seat
1 Bench seat
Car Paneling
Hill Hiker®:
See-through Polycarbonate
See-through Polycarbonate
Other Guys:
Metal cage
Metal cage
Car Flooring
Hill Hiker®:
ADA compliant, slip resistant, marine grade fibergrate
ADA compliant, slip resistant, marine grade fibergrate
Other Guys:
Metal or wood
Metal or wood
Note – Comparison is based on observations made over the years and is by no means a complete list.
Note – Comparison is not between only one specific competitor.
Custom Design
Every Hill Hiker® is engineered, manufactured and installed using the highest quality materials & components based on:
Application Type & Local Building Code
- Commercial, Residential, ADA Handicap, etc.
- Requirements vary depending on Country, State/Province and City
Site Terrain & Local Climate
- Length & angle of hillside, access to hillside, soil type, vegetation level, etc.
- Proximity to corrosive salt water, seismic zone, rain, snow, heat, etc.
Motor Drive Type & Capacity Requirments
- Winding drum or continuous loop traction systems
- Size of max load desired, in-cab floor space (square footage)
Aesthetic Preferences & Additional Options
- Car size, design and style, paint color or type of finish
- With the most customizable options on the market we put our clients first
Explore Options
Engineered for Safety
Hill Hiker® Outdoor Hillside Lift & Tram Systems are engineered to meet or exceed the strictest structural building codes and elevator safety standards in North America (ASME A17.1 5.4). With Handicap and ADA approved options.
We pride ourselves on doing things the right way. That means selling a fully engineered product backed by full product liability insurance and years of experience. We have a spotless safety record and always pull the required permits.
Drawings & Specs
A Family Company
In 1997 Hill Hiker, Inc. set out to engineer the BEST outdoor hillside lift system on the market. To founders Bill and Laurel this meant their system would need to excel in a number of key areas:
Quality | Safety | Reliability | Code Compliance | Value
To accomplish this goal they employed Bill’s industry knowledge, Laurel’s business savvy and Laurel’s father, Noel Davis, an MIT mechanical engineering graduate and accomplished inventor. What they came up with was amazingly simple yet advanced: the first generation Hill Hiker® hillside lift system. Learn more:
About Us
Hill Hiker®
Other Guys
Engineered Design
Follows North American Elevator Safety Code - ASME A17.1 5.4
Maybe
Elevator License
Licensed Supplier and Installer in most of US (use certified partners or dealers in other areas)
Maybe
Insurance
Product Liability & Workers Comp
Maybe
Manufacturing & Installation
In-House Manufacturing & Factory Installation
Maybe
Service
Service Crews, Local Representatives, Factory Phone Support
Maybe
Note – Comparison is based on observations made over the years and is by no means a complete list.
Note – Comparison is not between one specific competitor but many.
Comparison:
Engineered Design
Hill Hiker®:
Follows North American Elevator Safety Code - ASME A17.1 5.4
Follows North American Elevator Safety Code - ASME A17.1 5.4
Other Guys:
Maybe
Maybe
Elevator License
Hill Hiker®:
Licensed Supplier and Installer in most of US (use certified partners or dealers in other areas)
Licensed Supplier and Installer in most of US (use certified partners or dealers in other areas)
Other Guys:
Maybe
Maybe
Insurance
Hill Hiker®:
Product Liability & Workers Comp
Product Liability & Workers Comp
Other Guys:
Maybe
Maybe
Manufacturing & Installation
Hill Hiker®:
In-House Manufacturing & Factory Installation
In-House Manufacturing & Factory Installation
Other Guys:
Maybe
Maybe
Service
Hill Hiker®:
Service Crews, Local Representatives, Factory Phone Support
Service Crews, Local Representatives, Factory Phone Support
Other Guys:
Maybe
Maybe
Experience
Hill Hiker®:
27 Years in Business with 580+ Projects in 14 Differnt Countries
27 Years in Business with 580+ Projects in 14 Differnt Countries
Other Guys:
Unlikely
Unlikely
Note – Comparison is based on observations made over the years and is by no means a complete list.
Note – Comparison is not between one specific competitor but many.
Hillside Site Solutions
There is a lot that goes into a residential outdoor inclined elevator system from design and planning; to permitting and engineering; to manufacturing and shipping; to installation and inspection; to service and maintenance.
With over 27 years of experience, Hill Hiker, Inc. is here to guide you every step of the way.
Project Process
Featured Projects
