If this happens, the part will need to be replaced. Rust starts on the surface but if not corrected, will corrode the part until it fails. With steel as the metal, iron oxides are the compounds that form rust (Fe2O3/FeOOH). A definition of corrosion is “development of metal oxides on the surface of a metal part”. Boat Trailers are different from other types of trailers and RVs because they get immersed in water (often salt water) and that accelerates corrosion or rust.
