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Residential Inclined Trams & Hill Lifts

Hill Hiker Winding Drum X 4x4 Car System 3D Drawing Image
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

Fully Licensed and Insured Badge
ADA Compliance Logo

BBB A+ Rating
National Association of Elevator Contractors NAEC Member Shield Logo
Hill Hiker Inc, 1997 to 2024, 27 years in business anniversary
Made-In-USA

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:

Hill Hiker windind drum x drive system with gearbox and electric motor

Drive Unit

  • Industrial strength outdoor rated American made gearboxes & motors with integrated brakes
  • Solid SS through shafts and grooved drums
Hill Hiker funicular tram system with double door cart and custom two color paint finish

Car

  • Fully customizable design
  • Poly-carbonate walls & ADA non-slip flooring
  • Composite wood or ipe Brazilian hardwood trim & seats boards
Hill Hiker electrical main control panel

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.
Hill Hiker curved stainless steel track rail on concrete column piers

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)
Other Guys:
Cart rides on top of track guide rails

Track Cross Members

Hill Hiker®:
Every 1ft
Other Guys:
Every 5ft

Support Options

Hill Hiker®:
Pin Piles, Concrete Collumns, Concrete Slabs, I-beams, Helical Piles, Buried Posts, Etc.
Other Guys:
Pin Piles

Angle of Incline Capability

Hill Hiker®:
Up to 70 deg (up to 90 deg depending on local regulation)
Other Guys:
Up to 50 deg

Gearbox

Hill Hiker®:
Double Reduction, Worm to Worm (safer than helical design) - Made in USA
Other Guys:
Single Reduction - Made in China

Drive Shaft

Hill Hiker®:
Solid 2"+ dia. steel shafting through entire gearbox, drum & support bearing
Other Guys:
Undersized shafts or unsafe multi-part shaft coupling systems

Motor

Hill Hiker®:
5 hp - Made in Germany (options up to 20hp)
Other Guys:
3 hp - Made in China

Cable Diameter

Hill Hiker®:
3/8 in min. (14,400 lb breaking strength)
Other Guys:
1/4 in (7,000 lb breaking strength)

Frame Material

Hill Hiker®:
100% Steel
Other Guys:
Steel / Aluminum

Track & Car Hardware

Hill Hiker®:
100% Stainless Steel
Other Guys:
Galvanized

Car Seating

Hill Hiker®:
2 Bench seats
Other Guys:
1 Bench seat

Car Paneling

Hill Hiker®:
See-through Polycarbonate
Other Guys:
Metal cage

Car Flooring

Hill Hiker®:
ADA compliant, slip resistant, marine grade fibergrate
Other Guys:
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
Custom cable car design hill lift system on Lake Michigan by Hill Hiker
Hill Hiker funicular 3D image from project in Beverly Hills

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 Inc Team Photo 2019

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
Other Guys:
Maybe

Elevator License

Hill Hiker®:
Licensed Supplier and Installer in most of US (use certified partners or dealers in other areas)
Other Guys:
Maybe

Insurance

Hill Hiker®:
Product Liability & Workers Comp
Other Guys:
Maybe

Manufacturing & Installation

Hill Hiker®:
In-House Manufacturing & Factory Installation
Other Guys:
Maybe

Service

Hill Hiker®:
Service Crews, Local Representatives, Factory Phone Support
Other Guys:
Maybe

Experience

Hill Hiker®:
27 Years in Business with 580+ Projects in 14 Differnt Countries
Other Guys:
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.

Hill Hiker Technician working on new inclined elevator installation

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

Featured Residential Projects

The 60 steps from the garage to the house got to be too much for my bad knees. We purchased a Hill Hiker® allowing us to stay in our 'dream house with a view' through our retirement years. We recommend the Hill Hiker® to all those people with physical challenges who still want to stay in their elevated home settings.

Henry & Rose L., San Francisco, California

My wife and I spent many hours researching hillside lift systems and safety was our main concern. The Hill Hiker®'s safety system is 'second to none.' Their captured rail system is unique to the 'ride-on-top-of-the-rails' designs offered by others. We are very satisfied with the lift system we purchased from Hill Hiker, Inc.

John & Heather B., Annapolis, Maryland

As builders (contractors), we were very particular with the fit and finish of the Hill Hiker® lift system we purchased. After all, the upscale neighborhood that we were developing would require nothing but the finest hillside lift equipment for its residents. The Hill Hiker® came through delivering the finest quality at a reasonable cost.

Jim K., Asheville, North Carolina

Our Hill Hiker® installation was great! Their crew was prompt, courteous and got the job done when they said they would. The lift has changed our lake shore living by allowing us to really utilize the lake! Thanks Hill Hiker!

Sam & Jennifer S., Hudson, Wisconsin

Learn More