REDUCE YOUR FLEET COSTS

Shocker Gooseneck Surge Air Hitch & Coupler Installation

1. Take a vertical measurement from the bottom of the ball coupler tube to the bottom of the trailer frame sleeve. This dimension will be used to set the Shocker Gooseneck Surge Trailer Hitch
2. Remove pins or loosen locking bolts on the trailer frame sleeve, and remove the existing coupler tube.
3. Slide Gooseneck Surge Shocker Hitch insert tube inside the trailer frame sleeve with the air bag toward the rear of trailer.
4. Hold or support Shocker at vertical measurement noted in Step #1. This should duplicate the previous ride height of the trailer. Shocker hitch must be properly aligned, (parallel with trailer), to maximize its benefits. Note: If your trailer coupler tube is equipped with a pin or pins, the correct pin location must be marked in the Shocker hitch insert tube and have a qualified machine shop drill / machine the pin holes.
5. Torque locking bolts to your trailer manufacturers’ recommended specifications. A spacer kit is available for some applications.
6. Lubricate: Oil the coupler shaft, grease coupling ball socket, and grease the hitch ball to REDUCE WEAR AND IMPROVE SHOCKER ACTION. Main pivot grease zerk should be greased periodically for maximum bushing life. ( Simply, you cannot over-grease it! )
7. Hook up the trailer by simply lowering the coupler onto the ball. (Handle will snap open & shut automatically). To release trailer: Pull handle up and hold while raising trailer.

Installation

Installation Issues

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the Gooseneck Surge Hitch

How do I know the Gooseneck surge with fit my gooseneck trailer? There are two things you need to know. What kind of stem your gooseneck trailer has and what kind of ball your pickup has. You can also find the hitch you need by using our Gooseneck Trailer MFG guide.

What is the Gooseneck surge tow rating?  30,000 lbs towing capacity for 30K Gooseneck air with shift lock coupler for 2-5/16″ ball & 7,000 lbs tongue weight. 40,000 lbs towing capacity with 40K goose air with shift lock coupler for 3″ ball. The 9″ offset coupler for 2-5/16″ ball has 6,000 lbs tongue weight.

How long will the airbag last? Our air spring bags are an industrial bag and will last for years and years. They are similar to truck air spring bags but have been beefed up internally for our towing applications. We do offer replacement airbags. How long will it hold air? This is a sealed air system that will hold air for weeks or months. If you haul the same trailer with the same load weight, it should be good for quite some time.

Is there a way to lock the Gooseneck coupler? Yes, we do carry a Shift lock gooseneck coupler lock specially made for our Gooseneck surge hitch & coupler as well as a stem set bolt locks.

Can you really install the Gooseneck Surge in a couple of minutes? Yes check out the install video.

How much air do I put in the gooseneck surge air hitch?  See air pressure video.

What do your mean when you say straight or angled / slotted pin holes?  We are wondering if your gooseneck stem has holes that are straight across OR if it is slightly angled 10-30 degrees, where the stem hitch pin is off set or at an angle. Below is a picture of an angled stem, which we would use a stem with slotted holes to fit this angled pin. See our gooseneck stem selection guide.

Will it work with my flat bed pickup with recessed in a flatbed pocket? Yes, see the fitment guide for recessed ball.

If I Order a gooseneck surge air hitch & coupler, what all comes in the box? Includes a complete replacement inner gooseneck stem, surge air hitch system & shift lock coupler along with clear-cut installation instructions.

How strong is the center pivot bolt?  The main pivot bolt with grease zerk, or center pivot bolt, used on the gooseneck hitch, is a custom made 1.25 inch diameter 1045 medium carbon steel bolt. Strategically heat treated to prevent wear and includes a machined grease passage for easy lubrication and maintenance. It should be noted that the yield strength of the 1.25″ pivot bolt exceeds the rating of the gooseneck hitch. How often do I grease it? The grease does not just lube the pivot; it also keeps water and dirt out. You cannot over grease it, once every few months should do it.

How does the air ride work? The air shocker is like a teeter totter. One end is an air bag, a pivot in the middle, and a ball at the other end. This gives a “pillow” effect at the ball end.

How much does an Shocker gooseneck surge weigh? The Gooseneck Surge Air Hitch & Coupler weighs 95 to 100 lbs depending on the model.

1. I just got it last week and used it for 1120 loaded miles…. I love it so far.

   – Paul Graber

2. At first I was skeptical if it would work or not but after installing it on a gooseneck trailer I had hauled for years I was amazed by the difference it made, there was no more jerking or tugging back by the trailer it was the smoothest ride I had ever felt hailing this trailer. I’m I’m the process of outfitting my fleet of trailers bumper pull and gooseneck with shocker hitch systems. Truly a awesome product.

   – Jon Parks

3. I can honestly say that the shocker gooseneck surge is by far the best money that I have spent on my hotshot setup. I put on 5K miles without the shocker gooseneck surge and I personally took a beating, my equipment was taking a beating!! A total game changer on the wear and tear on my equipment, and as the driver, holy cow what a difference in the abuse I was taking without this hitch!!!! After a month or so running with this setup I give it a 5 out of 5 star rating on this product. Shipping was awesome, I ordered it on a Sunday and it was delivered by Friday to WA state. If you are debating on buying this hitch, to me it is worth every penny.

   – Guy Alexander

4. Recently installed the hitch about a week ago. I’m in the middle of my busy delivery season. I can definitely tell the different on how the trailer pulls having this installed. Very happy with it so far.

   – Clayton Kolling

5. Product went on great and works great. Will be going on a trip in August for the first real test on rough roads

   – Steve Christensen

6. Works great. Just pulled to Iowa and Colorado. Best hitch I think it help’s take the jarring out of my truck. Thanks

   – Dave Ash

7. I am tired of being beat around by these rough roads! Wow! What a difference, I should have done it a long time ago! THANKS

   – TR Smallwood

8. Love the fit, smooths out the ride, and the horses seem to be in better shape over rougher roads.

   – Chris

9. Should have purchased this a long time ago! A game changer for someone who hauls gooseneck all day, everyday. Almost completely eliminated to clunking and shaking completely. I haul anywhere from 8k to 18k and having an adjustable air bag makes this system very versatile compared to the competitors.

   – Sean Wood

10. Easy install, quality product and the ride made my mom happy!!! I put mom in backseat until she was not getting motion sickness from jerking. I settled at 30 psi with a 2017 Moritz FH 20+5 and a 8,000 lb pulling truck. Tow rig 2022 Chevy 3500 duramax cclb sw. Shocker hitch went above and beyond to make things right for me.

    – Aaron Kopta

11. outstanding ride

    – michael

12. Absolutely love the hitch, I pull a 43ft stock combo trailer and it improved the ride tremendously and is easier on the truck! They are expensive hitches but in my opinion totally worth it. Excellent customer service and fast shipping. The only thing I can say about it is that if you have a Moritz flatbed the latch will rub the bed if you go through a dip. I cut some of it off to give it some room so this doesn’t happen again. Not a big deal it didn’t comprise any of the integrity of latch or any other part but could be a little different design.

    – Chad Leaming

13. I bought a 25 ft pintle hitch trailer, it has 2 axels. I cut off the hitch and replaced it with a gooseneck hitch, The trailer would bounce really bad when empty and not so much loaded. I was about to move the axels because they were off a little for a gooseneck. Instead I bought the shocker hitch. WOW I can not believe the difference, no bouncing when its empty and it gives a very smooth ride. I am very impressed. It’s worth the money, you won’t be disappointed.

    – Joe Lopez

14. Very satisfied with this hitch! I have an aluminum gooseneck horse trailer that has a lot of flex on rough highways and roads, this hitch smooths out the ride for the trailer and I can feel it in the truck as well. I’m getting ready to finish out the interior with living quarters and this product will be beneficial to stabilize all the structures and not have the living area and items bouncing down the road causing wear and tear. I truly believe this hitch will extend the life of our rig, and it is definitely a more comfortable ride for the horses which gets them to shows feeling their best!

    Clay West
    CW Elite Cow Horses

    – Clay West

15. Amazing product ! Quality and function is spot on

    – Dilland W

16. Such a big difference in the ride. I hotshot with a 25k GVRW gooseneck 40ft PJ straight deck. I had 16k on the trailer and it felt nice not to be jerking. My neck and back thank you.

    – Glennson Mahan

17. Easy to install(with 2 people) and completely changed the attitude of the trailer for the better!

    – Josh

18. Amazing! And super smooth. Gone is the jarring start and stop. Now it just a gentle pull. I pull a 40’ enclosed triple axle.
    Worth its weight in gold.

    – Bill V.

19. The shocker gooseneck works great no more jerking or tugging ,really notice a huge difference on bridges when you enter there’s always a bump or dip that jerks the truck not any more ,great product.Thanks shocker hitch!

    – Dino

20. 40 ft stacker 13.4 hight gooseneck trailer ,the ride was so much better.

    – John Budakowski

21. Great product works as advertised, a much better towing experience

    – Bryan

22. AMAZING product! Despite our upgrade from a 2000 F350 to a 2009 F450 and due diligence of maintenance of truck and trailers, the jerking and bumpy tailer rides continued. At a recommendation of a friend we ordered this hitch, skeptical but hopeful it would give more comfort to us and our horses. The results are seriously astonishing! We are planning on purchasing the bumper pull version next and HIGHLY recommend this product for all private horse haulers, large and small!

    – Brian & Alex

23. This was used a seed tender terrible to pull after the shocker it was a whole new trailer definitely recommend

    – troy hafner

24. I bought my Shocker Gooseneck hitch 12 Oct 2020 from Country Blacksmith Trailers in Mount Vernon, Illinois. I traded a 22ft gooseneck for a 30 ft Diamond C Gooseneck (my dream trailer) and they had the shocker hitches displayed. I have never seen these displayed or advertised before. I have seen them, read reviews and watched a video on youtube. Of course I bought one and the dealer installed it. The dealer was absolutely wonderful! Simply the Best customer service, knowledge and support! When I buy a new trailer I am driving from my home in Florida back to Mount Vernon, Illinois to buy it! They are that good. So, the shocker hitch? I Love it, can not say enough about it, it made an amazing difference in the ride of my truck (2016 Ram 3500). My trailer is actually quieter now as well. I love the design and engineering of the hitch and I feel this company hit a home run on this product! I would love to be a dealer in Jacksonville, Florida and sell these hitches down here in Florida and Georgia. I have a small Farm in GA and have equipment to move around and hay to deliver so I use my trailer a lot. I grew up Farming in Illinois, joined the Navy at 20 and retired 2016 with 30 years. I am back to being a Farmer and truly love quality equipment like the shocker gooseneck hitch. I plan to buy the (pintle hook) shocker hitch next and try it out. Thank You Shocker Hitch design engineers, great job.

    Sincerely,
    Dandon Fonner, US Navy retired, Farmer at heart.

    – Dandon Fonner

25. Been looking at one of these for awhile and finally pulled the trigger. Wish I would have sooner. My 25’ flatbed was horrible to pull, top that off with a bunch of washboards on a lot of gravel road. Needless to say I never looked forward to pulling it. This thing made a new trailer out of it. Not kidding, it will make that big of a difference. Do not hesitate on getting one of these.

    – Kaleb phillips

26. I have a welding business with a truck and trailer. We live in Louisiana and the roads aren’t the best and my trailer is short and heavy so I felt every bump and jerk, so much so that it was almost impossible to drink something or even talk on the phone while driving . I looked at several different options before deciding on the shocker hitch, when I say it was the best money ever spent that is not an exaggeration! It’s a 100% improvement, my truck and trailer have never rode so good, my tools don’t get jerked around and I’m able to drink my coffee now on the way to work every morning. I wish I had bought it sooner. Definitely worth the money!

    Thank you,
    Paul from P&M Welding

    – Paul Antee

27. Excellent product. Great customer service.

    – Wendell Swilley

28. I have only used the shocker once since I received it, but I could already tell the difference. Definitely takes the jarring sensation away from the truck. It has to better for the truck, tires, suspension, and transmission as well. Time will tell how it holds up.

    – Jeffrey G Johnson

29. I ordered this hitch to use with our gooseneck RV trailer. It reduced probably 90% of the back and forth bucking my trailer would exhibit when going down the road. During the ordering process – I got to talk to the owner of the company and others on the team – it was great to work with them and they took good care of me. I’d highly recommend this hitch.

    – Adam Lim

30. I just installed this gooseneck surge Shocker last night and towed heavy with it twice today. Right away, unladen, the tow was a bit smoother. We live miles out a dirt road, then our county roads are pretty beat up too. So that is a good test. Out on the state highway for a few miles, I noticed that the trailer was moving a bit in the mirror but didn’t feel it in the pickup, which is a cclb drw 6.7 that’s tuned a bit.

    Next I hit the quarry for 8 tons of road base and right away noticed the Shocker smooths out the pull a lot once the trailer is loaded. Heading into town, a couple of red lights showed how the Shocker turns that initial jerk when you hit the gas into more of a tug. You can feel the hitch working around town.

    Back on the big highway, it seems that some noise and vibration are also damped out. I recorded a short video review of the Shocker and mostly heard exhaust, not trailer harshness. I put the video on my business channel https://www.bitchute.com/video/cPgotDCaVb8L/

    – Reno Lamb

31. Being a hot shot trucker, I can tell you this has been a great addition to our operation. Smooth and adjustable for various weights and load types. PJ trailers are great, but this make the PJ gooseneck super great!

    – Arnie Jacobson

32. Gooseneck Jamco horse trailer w living quarters hitch.
    Haven’t used trailer very much yet. It definitely reduces the stress and jerking felt, trailer actually seems lighter. Seems well constructed and engineered

    Only problem I see is now I think I will be ordering another one for my gooseneck dump trailer also

    – Basil Dodd

33. Easy to install. works great. A good investment.

    – Pete Feller

34. I am the Owner Operator of CB Welch Hotshot, LLC. This was super easy to order and install after very quick shipment. I love the increase comfort from the dampening effect, and it really increased my control of my rig. I am a fan and will gladly recommend the Gooseneck Surge Air Hitch.

    – Craig Welch

35. Works great! Solved the problem of my Living Quarters trailer jerking the garbage out of you when pulling it with no horses, especially on concrete sections of Interstate highways. So easy to install Ray Charles could have done it himself.

    – Barry Nelson

36. At first I was skeptical about spending over 800 dollars for a hitch. I have a chasis cab flatbed so the suspension is a little more unforgiving than a typical passenger truck. My trailer tongue weight is pretty heavy, 3900 lbs loaded and my trailer is older so I thought it was worth the extra money to go ahead and get a Shocker. WOW, the New Shocker made a noticeable difference in the ride. I love how it smooths out the going down the road. Customer service at this company is beyond 5 star. The gentlemen I spoke with on the phone was great, answered every question I had, helped me select the right product. Delivery was right on time and the hitch is so well made. I didn’t notice the pin when I unpacked it but it was there, I called Shocker and they sent out another one, 2 day delivery no charge. Now I have 2 pins so I will send the one they sent back. Wish all sellers took such good care of their customers. HIGHLY recommend this hitch and company.

    – Julie Figg

37. Much better ride now .

    – James LAWRENCE
38. – RICHARD W. RAUSEO

39. Very well designed and very sturdy. Haven’t had much time to test yet but I’m sure it will work out for me. The customer service is outstanding ???????? would definitely recommend to anyone towing a trailer or gooseneck.

    – Glen Steck

40. Love it

    – PETER F

41. Works very well

    – JOHN METCALF

42. Really impressed with the way this hitch took most of the jerking out of pulling the trailer. We have very crappy roads around here and it really helped.

    – Anonymous

43. great hitch no more back beating rides

    – DAVID A. C.

44. Worked good I have only pulled trailer once think I need to reduce the psi some.

    – JAMIE TENNISON
45. – DAVID R. MUNRO
46. – Joaquin Martinez
47. – Dave Madonia

48. Great hitch, takes the jerk out, have three different trucks, if your truck as air bags not a big notice in cab but a big difference in trailer just watching horses on camera, if no air bags it’s amazing in the cab

    – LOUIS RUBERTO

49. Great product, now we have them on both trailers.

    – KAREN L.

50. Best hitch investment ever

    – Franz

51. Thanks for all the help with my hitch.
    The quality is much better than expected. Money well spent. ”

    Brent O.
    Ogden, UT

    – Brent

52. Just wanted to tell about my experience with the Gooseneck Surge Hitch. I pull a 33′ Tandem Axle Gooseneck with 15000# axles on it, hydraulic beaver tail, and hydraulic jacks. This is a heavy trailer pulling heavy loads. The shock in the 1 Ton PU that I pull with was so bad you could not stand to ride in it. I searched the internet and found several quote “Shocker Hitches”. After doing some research I decided on the Shocker Hitch. When I got the hitch, we had the trailer loaded up for a delivery. First we took it down a road that is very rough 5 miles from us. Very tough ride! We brought the trailer back to the shop and installed the Shocker Hitch, applying what we thought was the right amount of air. Took it down the same road and sat in the bed of the truck to watch the action of the hitch. The ride was already smoother, but realized we had too much air in it. After a mile, I released some air out of the air bag, and couldn’t believe how much smoother it was. We find that if you apply the trailer brakes on startup and pull the truck forward hard, it will bottom out when it is set “right”. I am very happy with my purchase.

    Harv P.
    Hull, IA

    – Harv

53. We are a distributor for compact hay equipment and we have to deliver nation wide. I own a Dodge 3500 and a 29 ft Gooseneck HYD dove tail trailer. My wife went with me to up state NY to make some deliveries and on our way back with an empty trailer, we could not stand the ride. When I arrived at my home in Texas I felt like I had been playing football all day long. I had to do something to get rid of the high amplitude low frequency bounce that makes traveling so miserable. I started searching the internet for a new trailer, air ride suspension etc. then I ran into the Shocker hitch. I called the staff at Shocker hitch and orderd a hitch for our trailer. Once I received the hitch, I spoke to the staff at shocker hitch and they gave me easy detailed instructions to get the most out of my hitch. After installation, I found a noticeable decrease in bounce just pulling the trailer around my facility. My last trip to MI. and back was a pleasure. Here is what I noticed…High amplitude low frequency bounce decreased 80%, Fuel economy increase due to less shock loads on truck drive train. Cargo straps on trailer do not have to be re tightend. Can travel greater distanced in 12 hrs due to less body fatique. I wish to praise the guys at Shocker hitch for job well done. Fellas, you have engineered a great product.

    Sincerely,
    Phil from Small Farm Innovations

    – Phil from Small Farm Innovations