PL-12000DP: two parking platforms that rise and lower independently

The most useful fact about the PL-12000DP is sitting halfway down the manufacturer's own copy, where nobody reads it: the two platforms are not tied to each other. Each side has its own electric-hydraulic power unit, so one vehicle can come down while the vehicle on the other side stays exactly where it is. On a tethered stacker — the sort where both decks hang from one set of cables and move together — reaching the car you want means first moving the car you don't. That single design choice is the difference between a storage lift you use every day and one you only touch when the whole row needs rearranging.

This is the tall-rise, extended-length half of the PL-12000 pair: longer runways, more rise and more overall height than its standard-rise sibling. It is a vehicle storage machine first, rated at 12,000 lbs across the structure and 6,000 lbs per platform, and it lets you stack one vehicle above another inside a footprint close to a single parking stall.

Will It Fit?

Parking lifts are returned over measurements far more often than over capacity, and this one is larger in every direction than most buyers picture. Take these six figures to the building before you order anything.

• Ceiling height. Total height of the structure is 130.5" (3,313 mm). That is the lift standing empty; your roof, lights, door tracks and any duct runs have to clear it.
• Floor width. Total width is 221.25" (5,620 mm), with 211" (5,362 mm) between the posts and 100.25" (2,546 mm) between the short and double posts. Add walking room down each side.
• Floor length. Total length is 242.5" (6,160 mm); outside length is 198" (5,029 mm) and the runways themselves are 183" (4,649 mm).
• Drive-through. 85" (2,161 mm) wide by 80.5" (2,047 mm) high. This is the hard limit on what can be driven underneath a raised vehicle, and it is a commoner cause of disappointment than the weight rating.
• Approach. Minimum runway height is 4.75" (121 mm), and maximum rise is 82" (2,082 mm).
• Power. The power unit is 220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Ph. A 110V option is available on request, so decide which you are ordering before the lift is built.

Confirming your ceiling, your floor area and your available circuit is the buyer's responsibility, and a lift that does not fit the room is not a warranty matter. Our product record for this model does not state a required concrete thickness or strength; the installation manual linked on this page does, and if you would like that figure confirmed in writing before you commit, ask us and we will get it.

Independent platforms, and what they actually change

Two vehicles stored on one machine only works if you can get at either one. Because each platform here is driven by its own power unit and its own set of controls, the operating routine is simply: lower the side you want, drive the car out, put it back. Nothing else moves. In a collector garage where the daily driver lives under a project car, or in a dealership row where the front vehicle changes twice a week, that turns a two-person manoeuvre into a one-person one.

The platforms are full width, which matters for the vehicle underneath rather than the one on top: a full-width deck keeps oil drips, road grit and anything else off the car parked below, instead of leaving it exposed between two narrow runways. Built-in wheel stops sit at the ends of the runways, and front and rear wheel chocks are supplied for the vehicle on the deck.

A hydro-mechanical machine, deliberately

There is very little electronics in this lift, and that is the point. Tandem drive cylinders work with a hydraulic circuit that keeps the two ends of a platform rising together, and the load is carried on heavy-duty galvanized lifting cables. Fewer moving parts and a simple fluid-power system is what lets a machine like this sit in an unheated garage for years and still work on the first press.

Locking is mechanical and multi-position: six lock positions per platform means you are not stuck with one parked height, so a low sports car underneath and a tall pickup on top can each get the clearance they need. Wide baseplates spread the column loads into the slab, and the whole superstructure carries a powder-coat finish rather than paint.

Perfect For

• The collector garage that has run out of floor before it has run out of cars, and wants the summer car over the winter car.
• Dealerships and showrooms that need to hold more inventory on the same lot without building anything.
• Commercial parking operators looking to raise the number of spaces per square foot of an existing structure.
• Home owners with cars, light trucks, motorcycles or ATVs and a tall enough garage to take the structure.

What's in the Box

Only what this product's own feature list states is included:

• Two independent platforms with full-width decking and built-in wheel stops
• Dual electric-hydraulic power units
• Dual hydraulic cylinders with heavy-duty galvanized lifting cables
• Front and rear wheel chocks
• Lightweight extended aluminum approach ramps, which stow away when they are not in use

Rolling jacks, drive-through ramps and other accessories are not listed as included with this model. If you need one, ask before ordering rather than after.

Specifications

All specifications are subject to revision by the manufacturer.

Certification, stated plainly

Our product record for the PL-12000DP does not carry a third-party safety-listing document for the North American market. That is a statement about our data, not a verdict on the lift — it may well exist and simply not be recorded against this listing. The distinction that matters is between a manufacturer's own declaration of conformity and an independent listing issued by a testing body after examination, because insurers, fleet policies and some local code officials ask specifically for the second kind. If a listing is a condition of your insurance, your inspection or your workplace rules, ask us in writing before you order and we will get a written answer from the manufacturer rather than guess on your behalf.

Shipping and delivery

This model is a special-order item, so it is built and scheduled rather than pulled off a shelf; ask us for the current lead time when you enquire. It ships as freight to the lower 48 states. This item ships free, so there is nothing to add at checkout.

The carrier delivers to the kerb. You must be able to unload the crate yourself — a forklift, a telehandler or a loading dock — or arrange to collect it from the freight terminal, which is often the easier option for a machine this size. Delivery to a residential address carries a residential fee. Warehouse pickup can also be arranged for this brand — call us to set it up. When the truck arrives, inspect the crate before you sign: note any damage on the bill of lading at the moment of delivery, because a signature with no notation is very hard to argue with afterwards.

Warranty

BendPak has been building parking lifts for more than 50 years, and backs this series with a five-year warranty; the warranty document itself is linked on this page and is the version that governs. Do not disassemble a component you intend to claim on. Photograph the fault, leave the assembly as it is and call us — a stripped part is usually the end of a claim, and it is the single most common way an otherwise valid warranty is lost.