Originally Posted by bendembroski

I suspect that while this may be true, the problem is more likely to be academic than 'real world'. I've logged thousands of miles on little wheels (bikes and trailers) and have not noticed a significant difference in the longevity of the components you mentioned.

Interestingly, I have noticed that rim-wear due to braking seems to happen more quickly when compared to 26" or 700c wheels. but that could be down to a bunch of other factors (For some reason, the little wheeled bikes always seem to be out in the rain more, for instance)

Anyway, for a trailer the smaller wheels will not have a measurable impact on durability, IME.