Why Are There After Market 5th Wheel Couplers?

REASON #1 RIGHT DISTANCE:

When a 5th wheel hitch is installed in a truck bed, it is installed to the specifications of that truck, so that the hitch sits in front of the rear axle of the truck. Depending on the truck model, the distance between where the hitch is installed and the end of the truck bed may vary and sometimes the king pin coupler might not be long enough. The owner may have to replace that coupler with the correct length for the bed, or eventually the owner might purchase a different truck to use too.

REASON #2 IMPROVED RIDE

For RV'ers that do a lot of miles, the 'metal to metal' jarring of the king pin in the 5th wheel coupler can be tiring. Some manufacturer's have addressed this by innovating new designs that offer a smoother ride. Other inconveniences of pulling a 5th wheel trailer are the small turning radius. Innovations such as the Sidewinder address these issues as well. All of these make good reasons to invest in a new, more comfortable 5th wheel coupler system.

REASON #3 DAMAGED GOODS

Of course, there is always the possibility that the king pin or the entire coupler somehow got damaged - perhaps through inexperienced hook-up or maybe even vandalism.