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Sumo Springs on my Toy Hauler

Rbertalotto
Explorer
Explorer
I bit the bullet and spend $500 on four small rubber type things to augment the suspension on my Forest River RR19 toy hauler. Check out my you tube video here...https://youtu.be/xSDd5Se4z2E
RoyB
Dartmouth, MA
2021 RAM 2500 4X4 6.4L
2011 Forest River Grey Wolf Cherokee 19RR
520 w solar-200ah Renogy Li-Epever MPPT
15 REPLIES 15

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
Busdriver wrote:
Have them on my truck & trailer, never a problem in 4/years

I have a pair of Sumo on the wifes 1500 chevy rear suspension just for pulling my 10k car hauler with a 7440 lb blue tractor/implements. No issues in over 7 years.
I got the idea from one of my haulers forums I frequent.
Scale house DOT doesn't like a sagging truck and for years we used air bags to level the load. Then some haulers started using sulastic springs like the Sumo/Timbrens instead which acts the same as a over load spring. In this type of work truck owners may run a 100k miles a year or more. Some report their Timbrens or Sumo's have several hundred thousand miles of service on their truck or trailers.

Excellent vid quality .
I would prefer a flat surface at the top end instead of a 2" wide U channel flange.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Glad to hear youโ€™re happy with your purchase, but Trying to wrap my head around something with a stiff suspension, how making it stiffer makes it smoother.
Have used Timbrens and other similar suspension aids in the past, for trucks hauling more than they should, not less.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
afidel wrote:
Tyler0215 wrote:
Sounds like $500 wasted to me. The hard jounce when the Sumos meet the frame will be hard on the trailer frame.
Sumo springs on a truck sound equally bad.


Sumo springs or similar can be good on a 1 ton or 4500 pickup to provide some unloaded cushioning that the heavy spring pack lacks.


That is exactly opposite of what they do, butโ€ฆ.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Rbertalotto
Explorer
Explorer
Busdriver wrote:
Have them on my truck & trailer, never a problem in 4/years


As we sometimes say in the world of engineering...."PFM"!
RoyB
Dartmouth, MA
2021 RAM 2500 4X4 6.4L
2011 Forest River Grey Wolf Cherokee 19RR
520 w solar-200ah Renogy Li-Epever MPPT

Busdriver
Explorer
Explorer
Have them on my truck & trailer, never a problem in 4/years

Busdriver

2019 2500 Chevy Duramax , - 2017 Grand Design 303 RLS

Rbertalotto
Explorer
Explorer
Two hundred mile trip yesterday ....and in a word..."FANTASTIC". Hard to believe how four urethane cylinders could improve the ride of the Tow Vehicle. No more jerky jerky when going over bridge expansions. No more bucking on washboard roads. This trailer is a toy hauler. Designer to carry a 1000 pound toy. When unloaded the suspension is very stiff. These Sumo springs smooth the suspension right out. I bought them from Amazon so I could return them if they did not work as advertised. But I'm starting to believe they might be the best $500 I've spent bon the trailer.
All the internet engineers on this thread might be disappointed that they actually work. Sorry about that.
As far as the post about them not contracting the chassis. Watch the video again. That picture was with the chassis jacked up and the whole spring system hanging. When you install them. You add spacers to maintain about 1/2" of compression.
And as far as the comment about the Sumo springs bending or otherwise damaging the frame rails..... Totally ridiculous..... And I AM an engineer!:)
RoyB
Dartmouth, MA
2021 RAM 2500 4X4 6.4L
2011 Forest River Grey Wolf Cherokee 19RR
520 w solar-200ah Renogy Li-Epever MPPT

afidel
Explorer II
Explorer II
Tyler0215 wrote:
Sounds like $500 wasted to me. The hard jounce when the Sumos meet the frame will be hard on the trailer frame.
Sumo springs on a truck sound equally bad.


Sumo springs or similar can be good on a 1 ton or 4500 pickup to provide some unloaded cushioning that the heavy spring pack lacks.
2019 Dutchman Kodiak 293RLSL
2015 GMC 1500 Sierra 4x4 5.3 3.42 full bed
Equalizer 10k WDH

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
Tyler0215 wrote:
Sounds like $500 wasted to me. The hard jounce when the Sumos meet the frame will be hard on the trailer frame.
Sumo springs on a truck sound equally bad.


I'm not sure if I agree with this application but there isn't a "hard jounce". They are progressive, which means, the initial resistance is minimal and it ramps up as compression increases.

The one item I question is leaving a big air gap.
- With a truck where you normally run empty but occasionally put it under heavy load with the RV attached, it makes sense.
- With the trailer, presumably, there will be minimal variation in loading.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
Glad I am not the only one that is a bit skeptical about those pucks..

What was the reason why you fell you needed them?

The idea of having a suspension is to have some movement or compliance.

Those pucks take away compliance, potentially making the trailer ride stiffer.

Take away that compliance and it puts strain in places that shouldn't have strain. The frames are not reinforced where that puck touches and for any boxed frame there should be concern over how much up pressure is is targeted in one small part of the frame.. Without reinforcement to spread the load you can easily flatten the frame..

Its your RV to do with as you wish, myself, I think it is more of a non issue that someone made a product for.

Tyler0215
Explorer
Explorer
Sounds like $500 wasted to me. The hard jounce when the Sumos meet the frame will be hard on the trailer frame.
Sumo springs on a truck sound equally bad.

Skibane
Explorer II
Explorer II
There have been reports of the plastic losing its resiliency in a few years.

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
MEH, $500 for polyurethane pucks that restrict your trailers suspension movements?

Calling them "springs" is an oxymoron.

You can remove the leaf springs and bolt the axles directly to the frame, saves the $500 and effectively does the same thing.

I see a bent/cracked/broken frame in your future.

If you are having control issues, adding some shocks to provide some controlled damping would be a better choice and half the cost.

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
Excellent video quality and narration.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Your springs sacked out, or you got the TH loaded to the max?
Odd, as one thing that typically isnโ€™t lacking on toyhaulers is spring capacity.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold