What Is A Kingpin?A Kingpin is used when pulling with a 5th wheel hitch. The 5th wheel on a commercial semi is a large plate mounted to the frame of the truck that has “jaws” or a bar that locks a standard…A Kingpin is used when pulling with a 5th wheel hitch. The 5th wheel on a commercial semi is a large plate mounted to the frame of the truck that has “jaws” or a bar that locks a standard 2” diameter steel pin mounted on the trailer on to the tow vehicle. Most 5th wheel recreational vehicles (RV) have a pin box mounted to the frame of the trailer with the heavy 2” steel kingpin mounted to a skid plate on the front of the RV. Most 5thwheel RV’s are light weight enough that they don’t require a heavy commercial 5th wheel plate. Most 5th wheel trailers are under 20,000 pounds and a light duty hitch will be enough.Read MoreDoes PopUp Hitch Make A Kingpin For My Gooseneck?

YES! At PopUp we manufactureKingpinsthat aredesigned to replace a typical gooseneck couplerso you can tow with a 5th wheel hitch.

PopUp Towing Products by Young's Welding, Inc.

PopUp Towing Products offers "Straight", "Offset" or "Cushion Ride" Gooseneck Couplers to keep your

Looking for a gooseneck coupler that keeps your horses secure and the ride smoother on the road?

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Reviewed by Ann Pruitt, InfoHorse.com · Updated May 2026

PopUp Towing Products offers "Straight", "Offset" or "Cushion Ride" Gooseneck Couplers to keep your horses secure on the road! PopUp Towing Products is a trusted manufacturer of high quality towing products located in Southeast Kansas and is a sister company to Young's Welding Inc. Young's Welding was established in 1934, third generation steel fabrication company.

PopUp Towing Products by Young's Welding, Inc.
PopUp Towing Productsoffers "Straight", "Offset" or "Cushion Ride" Gooseneck Couplers to keep your horses secure on the road!

About PopUp Towing Products by Young’s Welding Inc.

PopUp Towing Products is a trusted manufacturer of high quality towing products located in Southeast Kansas and is a sister company toYoung’s Welding Inc..Young’s Welding was established in 1934, third generation steel fabrication company. Approaching 90 years of service to a variety of industry partners throughout the United States. As a subsidiary of Young’s Welding Inc.,PopUp Towing Products offers 5th wheel and gooseneck towing products. PopUp offers products throughout the United States and Canada.PopUp Towing Products are all made in America, the company is located in Chanute Kansas.

PopUp Towing Products offers "Straight", "Offset" or "Cushion Ride" Gooseneck Couplers to keep your

So… Which Coupler Is Best For My Short bed Truck?

PopUp's “Short Bed" series of couplers are designed to increase the clearance between the cab of the truck and nose of the trailer. We offer offset Shortbed couplers with, 6”,9”, 12” & 16” offsets. There are several factors that help determine the best coupler for a short bed pickup truck.First off, any truck that has a bed shorter than 8’ is considered a short bed. The configuration of the nose of the trailer is a consideration. Some trailers are wide and square at the front, some angle back or are “clipped” and some have rounded fronts. The clipped front and rounded front trailers don’t require as much offset as a wide square nosed trailer.

If I Have a ShortBed Truck or Regular Bed Sized Truck, What Do I Need?

TheCC2 is a straight, gooseneck couplerwith a 4” round tube with a simple cushion and internal dampening sleeve. The cushion reduces the chucking and bucking on the trailer and tow vehicle by 59% over a rigid gooseneck coupler. The testing is called “G-Force” testing. There a several sensors placed on the tow vehicle and trailer that measure the movement of both. The sensors convert the bumps and jolts to thousands of data points. (Video above)
Note: After interpretation of the data points using several different densities of cushioning we determined that the current cushion improved the ride significantly while providing a reasonable amount of durability.

A receiver hitch is mounted to the frame under the back bumper. It is designed to accept a “ball mount”, or hitch ball. The receiver hitch come in a wide variety of weight ratings/classes. They can be installed on cars & SUV’s as well as light duty to heavy duty trucks. PopUp doesn’t manufacture receiver hitches or ball mounts.

Which Coupler Is Best For My F350, F250 (or comparable) Truck?

The make, model and year of your pickup truck doesn’t matter as much as the length of the bed. If you have a gooseneck hitch we like the PopUp GN (Gooseneck) series of straight couplers for longer bed trucks and the “Short Bed" series of offset couplers for short bed trucks. All are equipped with the PopUpself-latching couplerso you never have to climb in the bed to hook and unhook the trailer!

OK… Do I Need Both A Hitch and A Coupler?

These are important questions and can be a bit confusing at first, so we are happy to help! Ahitch is the part that is attached to the chassis of your tow vehicle. Thecoupler is attached to the trailerand connects with the hitch to tow your trailer safely.

Straight Gooseneck Couplers(for those with an 8’ bed or more)

Offset Gooseneck Couplers(for those with a Short Bed under 8’)

Cushion Ride Gooseneck Couplers…for those who want the smoothest ride possible for their horses.

Can A Kingpin Help Me With A Smoother Ride?

YES. Many people really like the quality of “ride" they get with a kingpin on their trailer and 5th wheel hitch in the truck. ThePopUp GN5 Kingpinis one of the best selling parts that we manufacture.

How Do I Know What I Need For MY Coupler?
The make, model & year of the truck doesn’t have as much to do with what coupler a customer needs as much as the length of the bed and the design of the trailer being towed. If a customer has a short bed truck they might need to look at the SB series. If they have a full length, 8’ bed they are most likely going to be looking at the straight couplers or kingpins.

What If I Have a Large SemiTruck- Living Quarters Trailer?

ET Air Ride 5th Wheel Hitchis your answer. This is a unique hitch designed for use with semi-tractor heavy living quarter horse trailers or RV’s. The hitch is NOT designed for light duty trucks, (like the F150,F250,F350, or even the F450) It has air bags under the 5th wheel coupler head or hitch ball like the Stan Ayers pics. The ET will work with trailers that are up to 40,000 pounds with vertical tongue weight up to 9,000 pounds.The hitch almost completely eliminates the chucking and bucking of the trailer.The ET reduces stress on horses because itoffers a first in class ride.There are several models that we can work with a customer to get the best possible ride. The staff at PopUp are happy to help match the hitch to the trailer and load they are pulling.

Trust The Staff At PopUp Trailers To Help You Today!

Absolutely! Our knowlegable staff knows just what questions to ask, and we’ll be thorough in ensuring that you get just the right Towing Products for your Gooseneck! We’re here to help and get you on the road with a safe and dependable towing set up that you and your horses can enjoy for years to come!Call today!

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The Solution Section (FAQ)

What kinds of gooseneck couplers does PopUp Towing Products make for horse trailers?

PopUp manufactures three kinds of gooseneck couplers: Straight Gooseneck Couplers (for trucks with an 8' bed or more), Offset Gooseneck Couplers (for short bed trucks under 8'), and Cushion Ride Gooseneck Couplers for those who want the smoothest possible ride for their horses. All are made in America by PopUp Towing Products, a sister company to Young's Welding Inc. in Chanute, Kansas.

What counts as a "short bed" truck, and why does it matter for towing a gooseneck?

Any truck with a bed shorter than 8' is considered a short bed, including mega cab pickups with 6' or even 5.5' beds. With a short bed, the front of your gooseneck trailer can swing into the back of the cab during turns or stops, which is dangerous. PopUp's offset "Short Bed" couplers are designed to increase the clearance between the cab and the nose of the trailer.

Which offset coupler do I need for my short bed truck?

PopUp offers offset Shortbed couplers in 6", 9", 12" and 16" offsets, with 16" being the longest they make. The right amount of offset depends on your bed length and the shape of your trailer's nose: wide square-fronted trailers need more offset, while clipped or rounded fronts need less. PopUp's staff will ask the right questions to help match the coupler to your specific truck and trailer.

Do I have to climb into the truck bed to hook and unhook the trailer?

No. All PopUp gooseneck couplers are self-latching, so you never have to get into the bed to hook or unhook your trailer. PopUp offers them with 4" round tube, 4" square tube and 4 1/2" square tubes on both straight and offset models, with options to fit half-ton (F150), 3/4-ton (F250), 1-ton (F350) and 1 1/2-ton (F450) trucks.

How does the Cushion Ride coupler make towing smoother for my horses?

The CC2 is a straight gooseneck coupler with a 4" round tube and a simple cushion with an internal dampening sleeve. In "G-Force" testing, where sensors measure movement on both the truck and trailer, the cushion reduced the chucking and bucking by 59% compared to a rigid gooseneck coupler. PopUp settled on the current cushion density because it improved the ride significantly while staying durable.

What is a kingpin, and does PopUp make one for a gooseneck horse trailer?

A kingpin is used when pulling with a 5th wheel hitch instead of a gooseneck ball. PopUp manufactures kingpins designed to replace a typical gooseneck coupler so you can tow with a 5th wheel hitch, and the PopUp GN5 Kingpin is one of their best-selling parts. Many owners like the quality of ride they get running a kingpin with a 5th wheel hitch in the truck.

I pull a heavy semi-tractor living quarters horse trailer. What does PopUp offer?

For heavy living quarter horse trailers or RVs pulled by a semi-tractor, PopUp makes the ET Air Ride 5th Wheel Hitch. It uses air bags under the 5th wheel coupler head and works with trailers up to 40,000 pounds and vertical tongue weight up to 9,000 pounds. It almost completely eliminates chucking and bucking, but it is not designed for light duty trucks like the F150, F250, F350 or F450.

How do I figure out which PopUp coupler is right for my truck and trailer?

The make, model and year of your truck matter less than your bed length and the design of the trailer you tow, so PopUp's knowledgeable staff will walk you through the right questions to find the correct coupler, kingpin, or hitch. Call PopUp Towing Products at 620-431-9196 or email info@PopUpHitch.com, or visit popuphitch.com to see their made-in-America gooseneck couplers and hitches.