Hi Randy, When I got my M15 in Florida, the Trailrite trailer showed rust spots. Back home in Connecticut, I cleaned up the rust spots using sandpaper, and then used Rustoleum primer over the bare spots. This was followed by a coat of Rustoleum paint on the whole trailer. Several years later, the trailer still looks very good. However, my launching and retrievals have been in fresh water, not salt water, so that could make a difference. Connie