I made a slight change, not really with the "trailer", but the pool noodle traffic deflector.
I added a piece of PVC pipe. I believe it is 1/2" ID. It fits pretty snug inside the noodle. The purpose is to stiffen up the noodle. The pipe goes through all but the last foot or so. This way the noodle is a lot more rigid. The softer end is there in case a passing car snags it - the foam will simply flex out of the way. Since the whole thing is tied on to the top of the tub, also, it is very easy to rotate with much force. So there still isn't any risk of impact damaging much or throwing my balance.
The rigid noodle also gives me more visibility options - like hanging the orange vest. I was going to hang the orange vest further out, but realized it would blow around a lot more. If I do that I need a rod of some kind to hang from the bottom of the vest to keep it "down".
A couple other things to come -
I ordered an aluminum-backed SMV sign (Slow Moving Vehicle - the reflective orange and red triangle). I have looked at them in the past. There is a fabric one that people have mentioned here on the forums a few times. They are interesting - definitely lighter. There are also sticky-backed ones, like bumper stickers. There are also some that are plastic-backed instead of aluminum. I thought through the options and I decided I wanted a rigid one - it will give me more options on how to hang it, and won't blow around as easy and flex in the breeze. So it was between the aluminum and plastic. Aluminum won out because it won't crack up like plastic. We'll see how it works.
I also have new bearings coming. The ones that are on the wheels now are really cheap and seem like they are getting looser and looser. I am hoping the ones I ordered are decent and stay tighter. Depending on the quality of them, I plan on keeping some of the originals as spares in case something goes on a trek I have a way to replace them.
As mentioned earlier with the first heavy torture ride, the axle stubs themselves are holding up pretty good. I am happy to see I haven't had any issues with them. With as hard as they've been "hit" with MUP/road transition crossings, bridge joints, and pot holes - under load - if something was easy to break or bend it surely would have by now. The only concern I have, of metal parts, now is bearings. That will soon be rectified.