Regular Shocker Gooseneck Air Hitches offer feature a 3″ offset gooseneck coupler. There is also the option for a Shocker Gooseneck Air Hitch with a 9″ offset extension coupler. Offset coupler or extender coupler mean the same thing. We also offer non air ride 9″ offset gooseneck couplers.
Offset Extender Coupler means the gooseneck coupler is moving the trailer further back from your pickup cab. An offset gooseneck coupler is changing the factory location of the gooseneck coupler. A 9″ offset would move the trailer 9″ further back and away from your pickup cab. This 9′ offset extender coupler option is needed if you need over 3″ to 9″ of extra cab clearance or if your are towing a gooseneck trailer with a short bed pickup (a bed that is under 6 foot in length). Pickups with a 6′ 9″ or 6′ 10″ bed generally do not need a 9″ offset to have proper cab clearance. The regular Shocker Gooseneck Air Hitch is generally ideal for most pickup trucks with 6′ 9″, 6′ 10″ & 8′ beds.
The Non Air gooseneck stems options can be ordered with either a standard gooseneck coupler, which does not have an offset and keeps the gooseneck coupler in the factory location or a 9″ offset extender coupler.
9″ Offset Gooseneck Coupler Uses:
Non Air and Air Ride 9″ Offset Gooseneck Couplers (Shocker Gooseneck Air Hitch & 9″ Extension Couplers) are commonly used on a living quarter gooseneck horse trailer being pulled by a short bed truck. Gooseneck living quarter horse trailers usually have a wide front that will interfere with and contact the back corners of the truck cab of a short bed truck causing damage. The offset gooseneck hitch prevents this damage by increasing the space between the truck cab and trailer when turning. This is also common with gooseneck cargo trailers, enclosed gooseneck race car trailers, and gooseneck toy hauler style trailers that have living quarters in the front of the trailer and garage space in the rear for vehicles. However, our normal gooseneck air hitch & coupler is about 3″ offset, which works great for most gooseneck trailers being pulled by trucks that have a 6′ 9″ or larger bed (cargo box).
Another common application when an offset gooseneck hitch & coupler is used is when the truck has a long flatbed or where the back end of the flatbed on the pickup truck is wide and can interfere with the lower front of the gooseneck trailer, below the gooseneck trailer neck extension, and cause contact damage. A 9″ offset gooseneck air hitch or 9″ offset gooseneck coupler adds distance between the truck and gooseneck trailer for more clearance when turning corners. Additionally some gooseneck trailers may have propane or storage boxes directly in the center behind the truck bumper and more clearance is provided by an offset gooseneck style hitch & coupler.
