Been quite a few years back, but we also had to search. They had a couple extra plys thus the higher load rating. Went to an enclosed trailer a few years back. Cant remember the brand but they are out there.

 

One thing to do while you're at it. If you replace the old axle (I would personally due to age and depth of rust. Axles aren't that thick to begin with.) get a heavier duty torsion spring rating. They usually go up in 200 lb. steps if my memory serves me rightly. It's better to have more carrying ability than you need due to machines being full of gas and other fluids, plus any gear you attach to the racks, etc. Another thing about axles for trailers is that some do come with a pre-bent axle. The axle I had put on my 12'x101" snowmobile trailer has a pre-bend in it. It kind of acts as part of the suspension. When you load the trailer up the tires ride correctly with the whole tread contacting the road so the tires wear evenly. If you overload the insides will wear prematurely, underloaded the outside will wear a bit unevenly. This was learned after two trips back and forth from NH or Mass. to Utah. I now keep two brand new tires as spares when we go and start off with tires in like new condition.

 

I took it to a mechanic this morning. He said it’s all surface rust and it’s no worry. I also got an email back from a very informative guy that has worked with Triton trailers for 12 years. He too said he’s not at all concerned with the axle.

Looking at $500 minimum to get a new axle and then there’s shipping as there’s no dealer for several hundred kilometres. I think I’m going to just have to run it as is and just put new rubber on it. The axle is rated at 2200lbs and the tires are 1870lbs total. New tires will give me peace of mind for what I’m doing. I’m not going to haul more than 5-10mins on normal city roads to my trail heads and at the most 30 mins away on a 80km/hr road.

 

If that were my trailer I would turn it over to get better access to the axle, and then spend a few hours with a heavy duty wire brush cleaning off as much surface rust as I could. Then coat it with POR 15 to prevent more rust formation. And it would help preserve the metal for years to come. Here is the link to POR's website. https://www.por15.com/

 

You sound much more motivated than I am, lol!

Thanks for the idea and links!

 

P.O.R. is fantastic! I've never seen anything that comes close. Once you get the scale off and hit it with P.O.R. it will look like a new axle and should not rust from the outside anymore.