The Shocker Gooseneck Air Hitch with Demco Coupler adds instant air ride to your gooseneck trailer in minutes, delivering smoother, safer towing every mile. It's a patented air suspension system that completely replaces your gooseneck trailer's factory stem and coupler, using a built-in air spring bag and dual bump cushions to filter and absorb the chucking, bucking, bangs, bumps, jerks, and tugs you normally feel when towing a gooseneck with a hard connection. The result is a much smoother, more controlled ride for you, your passengers, your animals, and your cargo, plus reduced wear, tear, and breakage on both your truck and trailer. This version is built for trailers with a 4" or 100mm square inner tube stem and straight pin holes, paired with the popular EZ Latch Demco auto-latching gooseneck coupler for a 2-5/16" ball.
It's built for anyone towing gooseneck equipment, flatbed, livestock, living-quarters, horse, dump, and tilt trailers, from occasional towers to full-time hotshot haulers. The Demco coupler auto-latches onto the gooseneck ball the moment you drop onto it, and an easy-to-use latch handle simply lifts up to release, so hooking and unhooking is quick and simple. It installs in minutes, is tunable for any load, and even helps save fuel. Made in the USA by Shocker Hitch in Jamestown, ND.
Key Features
- Built-in air ride for smoother gooseneck towing – A built-in air spring bag, dual external bump cushions, and an internal bump inside the air spring absorb the chucking, bucking, bangs, bumps, jerks, and tugs of gooseneck towing for a much smoother, safer ride and less wear on truck and trailer.
- EZ Latch Demco auto-latching coupler – A 30,000 lb Demco coupler for a 2-5/16" ball that automatically latches onto the gooseneck ball when you drop onto it, with an easy latch handle that lifts up to release (extends 3" forward, with 3 height adjustment holes).
- Square-stem, straight-pin fitment – A thick-wall, heavy-duty replacement stem that fits 4" or 100mm (3-15/16") square inner tube stems with straight pin holes.
- Installs in minutes, tunable for any load – Completely replaces your factory stem and coupler in minutes, and the air ride is fully adjustable: just add air for heavier loads to dial in the best ride and load control.
Features & Benefits
The heart of the system is Shocker's rocker arm pivot design, engineered specifically for the way a gooseneck trailer moves. It produces a front-and-back motion, and that fore-aft jerk is the biggest and most fatiguing motion you feel when towing a gooseneck. By filtering, dampening, and absorbing that motion through the built-in air ride system, dual external bump cushions, and an internal bump inside the air spring bag, the Shocker delivers heavy-duty yet very smooth performance and eliminates the jerks, bucking, bangs, and chucking of a hard connection. It's the only air ride hitch that works exclusively in that forward-and-back motion, and it's tested, trusted, and proven to work better than other cushion hitches, without the parallel linkages, shock absorbers, torsion arms, and other over-engineered gadgets those hitches rely on.
The benefits are real and wide-ranging. Because the air ride absorbs the damaging forces of a hard connection, it reduces stress, wear, tear, and breakage on your truck's driveline and frame, your trailer's welds, and your cargo, while making the ride dramatically less stressful for you, your passengers, and your animals. That matters to horse, livestock, and hotshot haulers alike: your animals and your freight get a smoother, calmer ride. The smoother connection also gives you improved control and comfort, filtering the natural tugs between trailer and pickup to make towing safer, and customers report saving one mile or more per gallon on fuel.
The Demco coupler and square stem make it both easy to use and a precise fit. The EZ Latch Demco coupler is rated for 30,000 lbs and fits a 2-5/16" gooseneck ball; it automatically latches onto the ball when you lower onto it, and its easy-to-use latch handle simply lifts up to release, so coupling and uncoupling are quick and effortless. This version extends the coupler 3 inches forward of the factory location and has 3 height adjustment holes (if you run a short-bed truck and need more cab clearance, Shocker's 9" offset version is the one to choose). The system mounts on a thick-wall, heavy-duty replacement stem that fits 4" or 100mm (3-15/16") square inner tube stems with straight pin holes, matched to your trailer's specific stem. The air ride sits behind the gooseneck hitch and out of the way, and it's fully tunable: just add air for heavier loads (patent #D898,628, with additional patents pending).
Installation & Air Setup
- What it replaces: The system completely replaces your gooseneck trailer's factory inner tube stem and coupler with the Gooseneck Surge air system and EZ Latch Demco coupler. It installs in minutes.
- Know your fitment (important): You need to know two things, what kind of stem your gooseneck trailer has, and what size ball your pickup has (2-5/16" for this coupler). This version fits a 4" or 100mm (3-15/16") SQUARE inner tube stem with straight pin holes. Confirm your stem is square (not round) and that the pin holes are straight across (not angled) before ordering.
- Mounting: Slide the replacement stem into the trailer tube to the desired hole and secure with the pin. Tighten the trailer set bolt(s) and jam nut(s), then the stem set bolt and jam nut. Do not tow if the hitch is crooked.
- Coupling: The Demco coupler auto-latches when you lower onto the gooseneck ball; lift the latch handle to release. Always confirm it is fully latched before towing.
- Air pressure setup: Start at about 15 PSI if unloaded or a lighter trailer, or 25 PSI for a heavy-duty or loaded trailer. Test drive and adjust in 5 PSI increments until optimal. High winds may require added PSI. NEVER exceed 100 PSI, as this will damage the air spring bag.
- Lubrication: Grease the hitch ball and the pivot bolt regularly using the grease zerk on the base of the stem (every 6-12 months depending on usage) to reduce wear.
Clear-cut installation instructions are included, and downloadable setup guides, dimension diagrams, and an installation video are available.
What's Included
- (1) Complete Shocker Gooseneck Surge air hitch with built-in air ride system and dual bump cushions
- (1) Replacement square inner tube stem (fits 4" or 100mm square stems with straight pin holes)
- (1) 30,000 lb EZ Latch Demco auto-latching gooseneck coupler for a 2-5/16" ball (extends 3" forward, 3 height adjustment holes)
- Mounting hardware and clear-cut installation instructions
*Optional Demco coupler locks (sold separately): box-style coupler & set bolt lock kit SH-GDSP-400GL-BLK; puck-lock-style coupler lock SH-9100-350; set bolt lock SH-400GL-ISP-BLK. Confirm your stem type (square, straight pin) before ordering.*
Care & Maintenance
A little routine care keeps your gooseneck air hitch performing smoothly and safely:
- Grease the ball and pivot bolt: Lubricate the gooseneck ball regularly, and grease the pivot bolt using the grease zerk on the base of the stem every 6-12 months (based on usage) to reduce wear.
- Set and check air pressure: Keep the air pressure tuned to your load (starting around 15 PSI unloaded / 25 PSI loaded, adjusted in 5 PSI increments). Never exceed 100 PSI.
- Inspect before towing: Confirm the Demco coupler is fully auto-latched onto the ball, the stem is straight (never tow crooked), and the set bolts are tight.
- Keep it clean: Rinse off road salt, mud, and grime periodically, especially after winter or coastal driving, to protect the finish and hardware.
- Check the air system: Periodically inspect the air spring bag, bump cushions, and fittings for wear or damage.
- Storage: Keep the coupler and stem clean and protected from the weather when not in use.
Warranty
Shocker Hitch products are backed by the manufacturer's warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.
- Typically covered: Manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship under normal, intended use.
- Typically not covered: Damage from misuse, exceeding rated capacities, exceeding 100 PSI, improper installation, towing while crooked, accident, modification, and normal wear.
- Registration: No registration typically required; keep your proof of purchase.
*Warranty terms and duration can vary; confirm the exact coverage with Shocker Hitch or your point of purchase before publishing. Made in the USA by Shocker Hitch in Jamestown, ND.*
Terms to Know
- Gooseneck hitch: A hitch that connects a trailer's gooseneck coupler to a ball mounted in the truck bed (over the rear axle), used for heavy trailers like flatbed, stock, horse, dump, and hotshot trailers.
- Gooseneck stem/inner tube stem: The vertical tube that slides into the trailer's gooseneck and holds the coupler; this system replaces the factory stem with a Shocker square-stem replacement.
- Square stem (straight pin): A square inner tube stem (4" or 100mm) with pin holes that run straight across; this version is built specifically for that stem type.
- EZ Latch Demco coupler: A Demco-style gooseneck coupler that automatically latches onto the ball when lowered, and releases when you lift the latch handle; rated 30,000 lbs on the 2-5/16" ball.
- Auto-latching: The coupler locks onto the ball by itself when you drop onto it, without a separate locking step.
- 3" forward extension: This coupler sits 3" forward of the factory location (versus the 9" offset version for short-bed trucks).
- Air ride/air spring bag: The built-in inflatable suspension that cushions the tow; its pressure is adjustable for the load (never over 100 PSI).
- Rocker arm pivot design: Shocker's design that absorbs the front-and-back motion (the biggest jerk in gooseneck towing) without linkages, shocks, or torsion arms.
- Bump cushions: Dual external urethane cushions, plus an internal bump inside the air spring, that add shock absorption.
- Grease zerk: The fitting on the base of the stem used to grease the pivot bolt.
- GTW/TW: Gross Trailer Weight (30,000 lbs) and Tongue Weight (6,000 lbs on this Demco coupler).
Specs at a Glance
- Type - Gooseneck Surge air ride hitch (replaces factory stem & coupler)
- Coupler - 30,000 lb EZ Latch Demco auto-latching, for 2-5/16" ball
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) - 30,000 lbs
- Tongue Weight (TW) - 6,000 lbs
- Coupler position - Extends 3" forward; 3 height adjustment holes
- Stem - 4" or 100mm (3-15/16") square inner tube stem, straight pin holes
- Air system - Built-in air spring bag, dual external bump cushions + internal bump; sits behind the hitch
- Air pressure - Start 15 PSI (unloaded) / 25 PSI (loaded); adjust in 5 PSI steps; never exceed 100 PSI
- Pivot design - Rocker arm, front-and-back motion
- Lubrication - Grease ball and pivot bolt (grease zerk on stem base) every 6-12 months
- Made in USA (Jamestown, ND)