ChopperDave -
I really suggest that you absorb everything in the thread that Dave linked. As he pointed out, mainstream trailers are just not designed for washboarded roads. A couple years ago, my wife and I went to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. It is quite remote, access involves several miles of road such as you describe. There is a back-country campground at the Canyon, but the NP website suggested in strongest possible words that the road is incredibly rough, often impassable, and the campground was meant only for tenting. So we got a campsite in the town of Grants, NM, set the TM up there, and drove in with no trailer. When we got to the Canyon, you can imagine what we found. The campground was nearly full of macho trailer- and motor-home guys. And they all had piles of tools out, working on their trailers. Lesson? Don't do that!
If you expect to go rough-roading a lot, browse around for a real rough-road or off-road trailer, as Dave suggests. They are out there, but they tend to be small, rather primitive, and expensive - and Australian.
Returning to your question, I can suggest only a couple things that will help. Make sure that your well-equipped toolbox includes #1 and #2 square drive (Robertson) screwdrivers. It is easy to mistake the heads on all the TM screws for Phillips heads, but they are not. And if you use a Phillips screwdriver on them too many times, you will not be pleased. Also as suggested in Dave's linked thread, TMs don't have shock absorbers, so it helps if you reduce air pressure a bit in the tires. Of course, this reduces their load capacity, so you need to pack light for this to work. And of course, a compressor is mandatory for when you are done. And drive really slow.
One other hint. In Dave's linked thread, post #7 was made by a guy named Lars Dennert. Lars is no longer part of the forum, but he was an outstanding off-roader, took his TM to some unbelievable places, mostly in Utah, and somehow made it work. You would do well to find and read all of his posts. Sadly, his dramatic pictures are missing because he insisted on using a photo hosting site that promptly disappeared - instead of attaching his pictures to his posts, right here on the Forum.
Good luck, let us know how it works and what we can learn, and take lots of pictures.
Bill
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