Dexter axel brake up grade

I think the biggest concern should be your ability to control speed by downshifting to a lower gear. At the time you had all of your brakes smoking, were you in a lower gear? You may need to be at a fairly high rpm to help control your speed, this is okay. This needs to be your primary method to control speed coming down a mountain grade. You will never be able to upgrade your brakes to the point where they can handle constant use coming down a mountain. This is true if you are towing or not.