Open Deck & Trafficable Roof Vehicle Hoists

At a Glance: Our Open Deck or Open Top Car Hoists offer an elegant and modern look while providing a space-efficient alternative to fully enclosed garages. The roof of these hoists can be trafficable, allowing it to be used for either car parking or as a versatile garden space.

Maximise your property’s usable footprint and preserve your architectural sightlines with Southwell’s Open Deck Vehicle Hoists. Serving as an elegant, space-efficient alternative to bulky enclosed garages, these subterranean parking solutions effectively allow your vehicle lift to "disappear" into the landscape when lowered.

Ideal for luxury residences and high-end commercial developments facing strict council height restrictions or limited driveway space, our open deck systems can be engineered to blend seamlessly with your surrounding courtyard, garden, or driveway. Drivers can comfortably remain in their vehicle during operation, effortlessly calling or dispatching the hoist via a wireless remote-control fob.

Designed and manufactured in Australia, our open deck hoists are design-registered to meet all local safety requirements, including the NSW Design and Building Practitioner (DBP) Regulations.

Trafficable vs. Detachable Roof Systems

To solve complex architectural and spatial challenges, Southwell offers two distinct open deck configurations. Understanding the difference is key to specifying the right system for your property.

System Type	How It Works	Ideal Architectural Application
Trafficable Roof Hoist	The reinforced roof descends to sit flush with ground level, acting as an active, load-bearing driveway. Other vehicles can safely drive over the roof when the hoist is lowered.	Properties with limited turning circles that require vehicular access to courtyards or parking spaces located behind the hoist location.
Detachable Roof Hoist	The top canopy of the lift is not permanently fixed to the building. The hoist mechanically raises and lowers the roof structure, sealing flush with the upper ground level when not in use.	Developments needing to strictly minimise the visual impact on surrounding views or adhere to stringent local building height limits.

Bespoke Architectural Integration & Weatherproofing

Because an open deck hoist operates exposed to the elements or integrates directly into your landscaping, we engineer these systems with specialised outdoor durability and customisation in mind.

Landscape & Paving Integration: The upper deck can be customised to accept a variety of architectural finishes to match your property. Whether you are laying structural pavers, pouring concrete, installing timber decking, or laying synthetic turf, we engineer the roof’s payload capacity to accommodate your specific aesthetic vision.

Weather Protection & Drainage: Open deck lift shafts require specialised drainage considerations. We work closely with your builder and hydraulic consultants to ensure the hoist pit incorporates adequate drainage or sump pump systems to flawlessly manage rainwater runoff.

Acoustic Control: You do not have to worry about clunky metal noises. Southwell hoists feature intelligent drives that slow the platform down to gently and quietly connect with the roof section before lifting it into its final position.

Uncompromising Safety & Core Engineering

While the roof configuration is bespoke, every Open Deck system is built upon the same rugged, heavy-duty foundation as our standard Car & Vehicle Hoists.

Our open deck models inherit all of Southwell's premium safety and operational technologies, including:

Failsafe Emergency Lowering (UPS): Safely lower your vehicle and exit during a total power failure.

Intelligent PLC Controls: Built-in self-diagnostics for smooth, uninterrupted daily operation.

Total Compliance: Full structural and electrical adherence to AS1418.8, AS3000, and AS5246.1 Heavy-Duty classifications.

For a deep dive into our advanced control panels, emergency comms, and overarching Australian Standards compliance, please review our comprehensive engineering specifications on our main Car & Vehicle Hoists page.

Standard Technical Specifications (Open Deck)

The table below highlights the standard engineering parameters for our Trafficable and Detachable roof vehicle hoists.

If your project requires bespoke platform widths, custom roof paving payloads, or vertical travel greater than 7,500 mm, please contact our engineering team for a custom structural review.

Specification	Standard Parameter
Lifting Capacity	3,000 kg standard (Accommodates B99 vehicles)
Maximum Vertical Travel	Up to 7,500 mm (Standard configuration)
Number Landings	Up to 3 landings (Up to 6 possible via engineering review)
Lifting Speed	100 mm/s to 150 mm/s (Dependent on motor sizing and roof payload)
Power Requirements	415V, 3-Phase (Utilising a D-Curve circuit breaker)
Pit Depth Required	Minimum 800 mm (Deeper pits required for increased travel distances or heavy architectural roof finishes like pavers)
Platform Height	2,200 mm standard (Higher configurations available upon request)

Frequently Asked Questions (Open Deck Specific)

If I park another car on the trafficable roof, what happens if someone presses the lift button?

Safety is paramount. Each trafficable and detachable roof hoist is equipped with multiple integrated safety sensors. The system will absolutely not operate while a vehicle is parked on top of the roof or is actively traversing the trafficable surface.

How is rainwater managed when the roof is raised?

Because the lift shaft is exposed when the open deck hoist is in the raised position, rainwater will enter the pit. Proper drainage forms a critical part of the shaft construction. Your builder will need to incorporate drainage at the top of the shaft to minimise the amount of water that goes into the shaft. Additionally, your site builder must incorporate a grated drain and an automated sump pump at the base of the lift pit to extract any remaining rainwater to the property's stormwater system. Our electronics and hydraulic cylinders are positioned and protected to withstand these damp basement conditions.

How long does a custom open deck hoist take to install?

Due to the specialised nature of integrating the roof with your property's exact ground level and landscaping, these systems require precise engineering. Once the site is structurally prepared with power and proper drainage, installation typically takes under 10 weeks, depending on the complexity of the custom roof structure.

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