SumoSprings Review for RVs: We Tried Them! Are They Worth It?
You’re here because you want to know if upgrading your van’s suspension with SumoSprings is worth it. If that’s the case, check out our complete SumoSprings review below, where we discuss our experience with this product after five years on the road.
In this post, we discuss:
- What SumoSprings are
- How they help your suspension
- What to know before purchasing
SPOILER ALERT: SumoSprings are 100% worth it. SumoSprings drastically smooth out your ride, reduce sway, and give you more control as you drive on uneven terrain. For the price you pay, they provide fantastic value.
SumoSprings are our #1 value pick for upgrading a camper van's suspension. They stabilize sway, decrease vibration, and reduce rear-end sag. Best of all, they are easy to install yourself. Click for Ford Transit models.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Though we may earn a commission, the price you pay always remains the same.
What Are SumoSprings?
SumoSprings are oversized bump stops that replace your vehicle’s factory ones. Below is a size comparison between the old bump stop (brown) and the SumoSpring replacement (yellow).
As you can see, SumoSprings are over twice the size.
But there is more to SumoSprings than simply their size. Where bump stops exist to prevent dangerous impact between a vehicle’s main body and its chassis, SumoSprings also improve the vehicle’s overall suspension and ride quality.
How SumoSprings Improve Suspension
Most vans aren’t manufactured with the intent that they’ll be converted into a heavy RV and driven off-road. So you might find that your vehicle’s factory suspension system just can’t effectively support the van’s heavy payload and provide the smooth and stable ride you expect.
That’s where SumoSprings come in.
When you replace a factory bump stop with a SumoSpring, you’ll notice that there’s less air space between the vehicle’s body frame (top) and it’s chassis (bottom).
You can see this example in the above picture.
Exact distances will vary depending on the vehicle type and overall weight.
SumoSprings are purposefully engineered to come into contact much sooner than a factory bump stop. This is so that the SumoSpring can begin to absorb the impact from the chassis earlier than a traditional bump stop.
The result of this effect is a vehicle that experiences:
- Less verticle movement
- Less side-to-side sway
- Less body rolls
- Improved load support
Are SumoSprings Worth It?
Ok, you’ve made it through the boring details and just want to know whether SumoSprings is worth it. And we have to say…
Absolutely. 100x YES!
SumoSprings significantly calmed our ride when driving across uneven terrain. Less side-to-side sway, smoother rides, and less jarring jolts.
They’ve not only helped to improve our riding comfort, but they’ve also made driving off-road easier.
Life Before SumoSprings
We drove our first 30,000 miles without SumoSprings and still vividly remember our real hesitations when we drove on uneven ground and bad terrain.
The long list of “bad terrain” that hampered our driving included:
- Bumpy dirt roads
- Gnarly gravel roads
- Potholes (hello, California!)
- Speed bumps
- Exiting bumpy driveways & lots
- Taking 90-degree turns faster than 15mph
- High wind environments
When we drove on any of the above terrain, the body of our van would experience tremendous movement. From harsh up-and-down movement to intense side-to-side sways, it sometimes felt like our van was on a ship in the middle of a hurricane.
All this movement sometimes caused our clothes and food to get thrown from their cabinets out onto the floor. It wasn’t uncommon to have a huge mess in the back when we finally arrived at our destination.
A Good Analogy: Imagine a bobblehead figure. When you shake the body, the oversized head bobbles from side to side with exaggerated movements. Imagine sitting inside the bobbling head as it sways back and forth. That’s what we felt in our camper before installing our SumoSprings
Life After SumpSprings
With added suspension support from our SumoSprings, we are much more confident when driving on unmaintained roads.
Our rides are considerably smoother with less side-to-side sway because the SumoSprings pick up the weight of our camper and dampen its overall movement.
No longer are we weary of driving our Transit camper van off-road. We drive much more confidently, allowing us to get deeper into nature to enjoy a more diverse range of camping opportunities.
For roughly $300-400 (prices vary depending on the vehicle model), SumoSprings are some of the cheapest camper van suspension upgrades you can make that immediately and noticeably impact your driving experience.
No expensive installation required: We installed both the front and rear SumoSprings in less than two hours at a Walmart parking lot.
Before Buying SumoSprings (What To Know)
There are three important things to know BEFORE buying SumoSprings.
1. SumoSprings Are Vehicle Specific
SumoSprings are generally not interchangeable between vehicle types. This is because each vehicle’s size and specs are a little different.
Therefore, let us help you select the proper SumoSprings for your camper van. We help you do this in the section below.
2. Rear vs. Front SumoSprings
Different SumoSprings are provided for the rear and front of a vehicle. In SOME cases (like with Mercedes Sprinter vans), the rear and front SumpSprings can look similar.
But for most vehicles (like the Promaster and Transit vans), the front SumoSpring is actually a coil spring. This is a foam ring that gets inserted between the front coil and helps to provide additional support.
We recommend picking up a pair of BOTH rear and front SumoSprings for maximum suspension benefit.
3. Three Different Colors (and Densities)
Rear SumoSprings come in three different material densities, each identified by a different color. The heavier your vehicle, the better off you are going with a denser material.
- BLUE – For lightweight vehicles. These are not intended for camper vans or RVs.
- BLACK – For medium and heavy vehicles. We chose this color (density) for our camper van, and it fits our needs perfectly.
- YELLOW – For greatly overloaded vehicles.
Good to know: Our camper van weighs ~8,000 lbs, and we were recommended to go with the medium-density (Black color) springs. If your van is heavier than that, the yellow models may be best for you.
Where To Buy SumoSprings
If you are driving any of these commercial vans, we will list out which model SumoSprings you need.
- Mercedes Sprinter 2500
- RAM Promaster (1500/2500/3500)
- Ford Transit (150/250/350)
In the product display below, you can find links to purchase the rear SumoSprings for your specific van.
SumoSprings are our #1 value pick for upgrading a camper van's suspension. They stabilize sway, decrease vibration, and reduce rear-end sag. Best of all, they are easy to install yourself. Click for Ford Transit models.
In the product display below, you can find links to purchase the front SumoSprings for your specific van. Note: The RAM Promaster and Ford Transit use the same front “coil” SumoSprings.
Don't forget about the front suspension. The front and rear SumoSprings work together to reduce overall sway and road vibrations. RAM Promasters & Ford Transits share the same "Coil SumoSprings", but the Mercedes Sprinter uses a more traditional SumoSprings model.
SumoSprings FAQ
Get answers to the most commonly asked questions below.
Do SumoSprings Really Work?
Yes, they do! SumoSprings removes many of the unwanted bumps, jolts, and sways from your ride. Picking up a pair of front and rear SumoSprings will do wonders to improve your ride and enjoy your travels when on uneven terrain.
Are SumoSprings Vehicle Specific?
Yes. Whether you are driving a Mercedes Springer, Ford Transit, Dodge Promaster, or any other vehicle, you will need to find the specific SumoSprings model for your vehicle. We make several model recommendations in the above table of our SumoSprings review based on which vehicle you are driving.
Do I Have To Purchase Both Front and Rear SumoSprings?
No, you are not required to purchase both the front and rear SumoSprings. If you can only get one, get the rears. However, the sales representative we spoke with highly recommended purchasing both the fronts and the rears for the best suspension results.
Do SumoSprings Increase Ground Clearance?
Yes & no. SumoSprings may help you regain any ground clearance you may have lost due to having a heavy camper van. But they will not help you achieve any higher clearance than when your vehicle first came off the factory line.
In our case, our Ford Transit regained roughly 3/4″ of clearance after installing our SumoSprings.
But this was due to our front Coil SumoSprings helping to relieve weight pressure off our front strut springs and had nothing to do with our rear SumoSprings.
How Long Do SumoSprings Last?
SumoSprings are backed by a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer. They do not leak air, don’t require compressors, and don’t require any maintenance whatsoever. They just work.
Are SumoSprings Good for Towing?
Yes, they are! Because SumoSprings help support heavier payloads by reducing squat and sway, these helper springs are a perfect answer to help manage your ride when towing large, heavy objects behind you.
SumoSprings vs. Timbrens: Which Are Better?
To be honest, we have never tried Timbrens. However, based on our research, users generally prefer SumoSprings, especially among the RV and campervan communities.
But if you’re looking for a decent comparison, check out this post from TruckSpring.
Looking for other suspension upgrade options? Check out our 7 top camper van suspension upgrades for more info.
How To Install SumoSprings on Your Camper Van
We had no previous SumoSprings experience, and it took us about two hours to install both the rear and front SumoSprings.
And we went pretty slow.
This video from Carey On Vagabond does an awesome job of explaining the installation process for both the rear and front SumoSprings on their Promaster camper van.
Conclusion: SumoSprings Won’t Disappoint
Dollar-For-Dollar: The Best Vehicle Suspension Upgrade You Can Make Right Now
For the most cost-effective camper van suspension upgrade, we think purchasing a pair of front and rear SumoSprings is the best way to go. In our opinion, SumoSprings is much more worthwhile than investing in a 4×4 camper van.
They’re not expensive, easy to self-install, and dramatically change the feel of your ride.
Whether if you’re looking to get SumoSprings for your Sprinter, Promaster, or Transit, we say just stop thinking about it and pick them up today. You won’t regret it.
These are some of the best camper suspension upgrades you can make immediately to improve your ride.
We hope you enjoyed our SumoSprings review.
Please let us know in the comments below if you have any specific questions about our experience with SumoSprings.
Happy driving!
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I have a 2015 chevy Silverado 4×2 and pulling a 28ft travel trailer that weighs around 7000lbs,which sumospring is for me ?
Hi Doug, for your specific case, I would head over to the manufacture’s website (https://www.superspringsinternational.com/). On the homepage, you can enter your specific vehicle details and they’ll summarize which sumosprings you’ll need. For a 7000lbs trailer, I’d probably go with the Black (medium) sumosprings, but you may want to contact the manufacturer directly to get their opinion. Hope it helps!