is this nothing more than just surface rust?

[tacojoel]

Chit happens when salty water collects inside the rocker panel. SALT eats steel.

 

[JayQQ97]

and how exactly does that crap get inside of there?? especially by the back of there
i look on my truck and have NO CLUE how it would get inside there if the rubber plugs/flaps are tight and secure in the rocker panels

 

[tacojoel]

Who knows how water may have seeped in. Owner could have even left his window open several different times when it rained. Once water gets in those rockers, and doesn't drain...it will never dry out.
I've even seen salt spray eat through the bottom of those rockers when left untreated, if you spend several hours a week driving on winter treated roads. Those older steel ford f-150's were noted for the same area getting chewed out. At any rate when you live in the rust belt, gen1 tacoma's were notorious from rotting from the inside out...the gen2 not as much, but with both usually when you see it, its too late to do much about it, other than seeing a body shop.

 

[JayQQ97]

i had some guy in northern Wisconsin once copping a feel on the rockers on my rig
he couldn't believe they were still unrotted lmao
i routinely rinse that salt off my rig during the wintertime
rinse it off until my knuckles are numbed from the 20 degree cold

 

[tacojoel]

Well, most folks have less important things to worry about like just trying to earn a living.