Design for trailer -

[iliad5000]

many here, but still hoping for some guidance. I am in the process of building a trailer for a trackless train, that will haul
people. Where I am located the streets are cobblestone, so the roads are very bumpy and uneven.

With that, I am trying to design the trailer for passenger comfort. I'm looking for advice on what type of system I should consider.
Out of the following (maybe I am missing another option?) options, what combinations should I look at?

1. Airbags
2. Leaf Springs
3. Shocks
4. Airstruts


I am looking for comfort, reliability, and simplicity in that order. The trailers will haul around 12 to 16 people, with a load of around 2500 to 3500 lbs, and will be dual axle (one in front, one in back).

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

You might add coil springs to the list. They're pretty easy to design around, and they often ride nicer than leafs.

I am a huge fan of air ride, but the adjustability it offers you is probably unnecessary, so I'm not sure that the added complication of air ride would make any sense.

Were I designing this vehicle, I would be looking at vehicles that are designed for the same weight capacity as the completed vehicle will be, and stealing the suspension off of those. Full-size vans would be where I would look first, as they tend to be designed with a little more comfort in mind than pickups with similar weight capacities. In either case, you will want to run a spring and shock combination on each corner so that you have rebound control.

[iliad5000]

Design for trailer - Reply to Thread

Thanks..I am really not looking for adjustability, just comfort. But everything I have ever researched seems to say that air is superior to coils or shocks for comfort.

With that in mind, would you still vote for coils?

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

Air springs are by nature highly progressive, so depending on how the installation is tuned, they can be very soft for the first bit of travel while retaining good weight capacity. Your typical coil spring has a linear spring rate, but progressive-rate coils are easy to find on the market, which can offer similar performance. Even a very long, soft linear-rate coil or a very soft leaf could offer good comfort.

Don't let me dissuade you from air ride if it's the direction you're leaning, but it is a complex solution.

[iliad5000]

Info

No, please, dissuade me Seriously though I by no means pretend to be an expert.
My original thought was just to use the airbags, not really needing a on board compressor etc. because we won't really be making adjustments as we drive, or anything like that.
The trailers are for tours, so we would dial in the comfort for the average tour.

If I can get virtually the same comfort for a less complex system, I have no problem with that. So respect your feedback and any more opinions or advice you can throw my way.