Yeah, I agree, you need to rig a trike as big and heavy as yours with rear suspension one of these days. Part of your problem is you can't dodge a pothole as good on a big trike.
But the point I meant to make, is that judging how a 20" wheel rides by riding a bmx, does not apply to a long bike, where the seat is in the center of a longer pivot, vs directly over the rear wheel as on traditional bikes. Shocks not needed now, because the bike just rocks like a teeter totter over potholes, curbs, etc. With my back, I needed shocks till I went with longtail bikes. And on the bike, I easily dodge the big holes.
John got it right, when he put the smaller scooter wheel, with its better tire on his bike. He also lengthened it. John and I will always disagree about windings. But he did educate me a lot about it.
Now I just say get a slower wind, if you intend to ride less than 15 mph, heavily loaded, and you are stuck with a 26" wheel. But a bigger motor in a smaller wheel is still the best answer, as John keeps saying. Then you stop melting motors, or caring what your load is. It works great, even with shitty efficiency, cheap ass dd hub motors.
I don't ride a slow wind with 72v to get the speed back anymore. John is right, its just a great way to melt motors, not a solution, not better efficiency, not more torque.
My fast dirt ride now, which I never melted yet, is simply a larger motor on the 26" bike. Its winding is not the fast one, nor the slow. its just a middle of the road wind similar to most e bike kits normal speed motor. Its got all the power I need, at 48v 40 amps, and never even gets very warm. I was melting motors twice a year doing the slow wind, 72v approach, with smaller motors.
But again, I suspect in this case the hall just failed. If cooked, it should have cooked off all three easy.