What comes in the box
This updates as you add options to your order.
- Harmar AL500HD
- AL123HD class III heavy duty hitch adapter
- AL107 hitch post
- License plate mount
- Hardwire kitWires the lift to the vehicle's battery.
Harmar AL500HD
The AL500HD raises a power wheelchair weighing up to 400 lbs. onto a platform behind your vehicle at the press of a button. The deck measures 26" x 39" and four self-tensioning Q'Straint retractors hold the chair while you travel. It mounts in a Class III hitch or greater and needs no change to the chair itself.
Carries a power chair up to 400 lbs.
The AL500HD is a fully powered hitch-mounted lift that raises a power wheelchair onto a platform behind your vehicle. It carries chairs up to 400 lbs. and holds them with four self-tensioning retractors.
Built for real life
What stands out
Carries 400 lbs.
The heavy duty rating takes a power chair up to 400 lbs. on a 26" x 39" platform.
Mounts on your hitch
It fits a Class III receiver or greater and carries the chair on a platform behind the vehicle.
Powered lift and fold
It raises, lowers and folds at the press of a button, so nothing is lifted by hand.
Four Q'Straint retractors
Four self-tensioning retractors hold the chair to the deck and keep the tension as you drive.
License plate mount included
The plate moves onto the lift so it stays visible behind the platform.
Swing away option
A swing away arm lets you open the tailgate or hatch with the lift fitted.
The AL500HD is the AL500 with a heavier rating, and that is the whole difference. Same 26" x 39" deck, same four self-tensioning Q'Straint retractors, same powered lift and fold, rated to 400 lbs. rather than 350 lbs. The retractors are what set this lift apart from a hold-down arm, because they take up slack as the vehicle moves rather than holding one fixed position. The honest caveats are two. It needs a Class III receiver or greater, where the standard AL500 accepts a Class II, so a small car may not qualify. And Harmar does not offer the battery pack on this model, so it wires to the vehicle. If your chair is under 350 lbs., the AL500 is the same lift for $585 less.
Straight talk
Is it right for you?
A good fit if you
- Your power chair weighs between 350 lbs. and 400 lbs.
- You have no way to load the chair into the vehicle yourself
- Your vehicle has a Class III hitch or better, or can have one fitted
- You want the chair carried outside so the cargo area stays free
Look elsewhere if you
- Your chair is under 350 lbs., where the AL500 is the same lift for less
- Your chair is wider or longer than a 26" by 39" platform, where the AL301XLHD has a 36" deck
- Your vehicle can only take a Class II receiver, where the AL500 accepts one
- You need the lift to run from its own battery, which Harmar does not offer on this model
Specifications
Specifications are the manufacturer's own published figures for this model.
Fitting it to your vehicle
A vehicle lift is installed on the vehicle rather than unpacked and used. This is what that involves.
The receiver tube has to be installed parallel to the ground. Treat this as a requirement. A hitch fitted at an angle affects how the lift operates. Some vehicles also need the rear suspension supplemented, and some vehicles with rear parking sensors need those sensors deactivated, because automatic braking while reversing can stop the vehicle backing up.
Before you order
Work through the steps beside this panel. They settle how the lift mounts, which hitch adapter your vehicle takes and whether your state requires a plate riser, so the parts that arrive are the parts your vehicle takes.
Getting it here
Every order ships from the manufacturer to the address you give us. The carrier arranges a delivery window with you in advance. Installation is arranged separately, and we will point you at what your vehicle needs before you order rather than after.
Warranty and returns
The Harmar AL500HD is covered by Harmar's own limited warranty, published by Harmar as follows.
| What is covered | How long |
|---|---|
| Vehicle lift | 3 years |
What is not covered
The three year term runs from the date of installation and from the date of retail purchase. Harmar states that the warranty is transferable only where the application is approved by Harmar's Compatibility Calculator, so a lift fitted to a vehicle that was never checked may not carry a transferable warranty.
If something goes wrong
Call us first at 1-855-HIELINE. We file the claim with Harmar for you and get the covered part sorted out rather than handing you a phone number. The base warranty covers parts, so ask us about service and labor options when you call.
Returns
A vehicle lift cannot be returned. It is fitted to your vehicle, wired into it and in many installations drilled into it, so once that work is done the unit is matched to one car and it has no second life on the shelf. This is exactly why the steps beside this panel exist. They settle the mounting, the adapter and the plate riser before you order.
A unit that arrives damaged or faulty is a different matter and is covered above. Contact us before anyone begins the installation.
See our return policy for complete details.
Coverage at a glance
Common questions
No, and you can order before one is on the vehicle. This lift mounts in a receiver hitch of Class III or greater, which is the one with a 2" square opening. A hitch shop fits one as routine work, and hitch installation is not possible on every vehicle, so confirm yours can take one.
Yes. Harmar puts an AL123HD in the box and it is listed under what comes in the box above. It is a Class III heavy duty adapter and it fits a 2" receiver sitting 10" to 18" off the ground, which covers most cars, vans and trucks. If your receiver sits higher or lower than that, the hitch step tells you which adapter you need once you enter the two measurements, and you can add it there.
Capacity and hitch class. The AL500HD carries 400 lbs. where the AL500 carries 350 lbs., and it needs a Class III receiver where the AL500 accepts a Class II. The platform, the retractors and the operation are the same. The HD is 2 lbs. heavier installed.
The platform is 26" by 39". Measure your chair at its widest point and its longest point before you order. If it overhangs, the AL301XLHD carries the same 400 lbs. on a 36" by 39" deck.
Not on this model. The battery pack fits the AL500. Harmar does not offer it on the AL500HD, so this lift wires to the vehicle's battery.
Only if you choose the swing away arm in the hitch post step above. The included AL107 hitch post is fixed. A swing away arm also adds weight to your hitch, and the page shows you the hardware total.
It can. Tell us where the vehicle is registered in the license plate riser step and we will tell you what your state requires. The riser is yours to add either way.
Resources
A vehicle lift bolts into a trailer hitch receiver, a square tube under the rear bumper with a pin hole through it. If you do not have one yet that is normal and it does not stop you ordering. Most vehicles take one and a hitch shop fits it as routine work.
Two measurements with a tape and we can tell you now whether the hitch adapter in the box fits your receiver. Measure the square opening across, and from the ground up to its bottom edge, both in inches. Skip them if you would rather we checked it with you before your order ships.
Where to measure
HV is the height you were asked for above. D1 and D2 are only needed when something sits close behind or in front of the receiver, and they let us name the adapter exactly. Harmar’s own rounding rule: round up above a half inch and down below it.
- HV. Ground to the bottom opening of the receiver.
- D1. Centre of the pin hole to the furthest point toward the rear of the vehicle.
- D2. Centre of the pin hole to the nearest point toward the front, going through the receiver. On some vehicles the spare tire is the nearest point.
The adapter is the short bar that slides into your receiver and carries the lift. Harmar puts one in the box at no charge and it fits most vehicles. There is nothing to choose here unless your receiver is an unusual size, or sits unusually high or low.
Whichever you pick replaces the AL123HD on your order and is charged at Harmar’s own price. Leave it alone and the AL123HD ships.
I need a different adapter
Only Harmar approved hitch adapters may be used with this lift. Hitch expanders and extenders are prohibited, because they can damage the vehicle and the lift and can injure the user.
3 · Hitch post
Your lift comes with the AL107 hitch post, the bracket that bolts it to your receiver, at no charge. You do not have to choose anything here. A swing away is the upgrade: it swings the lift aside so you can open the tailgate or hatch without taking the lift off. Harmar sends the swing away instead of the hitch post, so the price shown is the whole mounting. Tap a swing away again to go back to the included post.
This answer decides how much you have to work out yourself. A vehicle lift is wired into the vehicle and bolted to the hitch, so it is fitted rather than unpacked.
These fit this model. Choose any you want and they are added to your order with the lift.
5 · Accessories
A lift mounted behind the vehicle can cover the rear plate. Tell us where the vehicle is registered and we will say what applies there. The riser is yours to add either way.
6 · License plate riser
Last thing, and it is the one we act on rather than you. Tell us the vehicle and the scooter or power chair, and we check what you tell us against Harmar's published capacities before your order ships. All of it is optional.
7 · Your vehicle and your equipment
One step could not be settled from your measurements.
Send those three figures to a specialist and they will confirm the part for your vehicle. Call 1-855-HIELINE if you would rather talk it through.
