Canadian John started a thread on keeping a stainless steel pit exterior clean by wiping it down with mineral oil.  Read it here.

Do those of you with powder coated or painted pits do anything to insure that your pit exteriors stay rust free?

The industry I werk in appears to have a different set of rules for 'powder coating'. In my world, it's also known as fusion bonded epoxy. It's all done to NACE specifications that start with a near white sandblasting of the metals surface. I seriously any pellet maker would go through that process as it's horribly expensive unless your set up to do that only. There are many steps involved and none of them are cheap.

Keeping that in mind; powder coating can be pretty cheap as well. Clean the surface, and apply the coating. Is it any better than stove or header paint? I've no idea as I've never experienced it. Imo, the best solution for taking care of rust is pretty much the same for most issues.

Clean up a good swath around the area affected with a wire wheel and give it a thorough cleaning with your chemical of choice. Apply Naval Jelly ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphoric_acid) and follow the instructions on the label. the chemical reaction will turn the metal black, and after cleaning up again, can be painted at will.

There's a reason it's called Naval Jelly.

YMMV....

I used to be pretty diligent about keeping mine clean, I would soap and water wash them and carefully rinse them (outside only) , I have since gotten lazy and have not in probably 2 years. Have a few rust streaks here and there now but nothing major. I do keep the innerds pretty clean though. Not sure if it makes any difference rust wise but mine always stay in the garage?

 When i had my Traeger LiL' Tex, I would use a detailing wax * (spray-on/wipe off)..First any smoke or other stains would be removed. Easy enough to do if not left for too long..Then the wax, spray on, rub and wipe off..I would start at the bottom:legs,inside

the skirt and belly. Next the balance..It looked new,actually,better than..Did it twice a year..

   * Detailing wax isn't as long lasting as a conventional wax or polish in an automotive application. Unlike conventional waxes, it doesn't leave a white residue..For some reason the detailing wax doesn't burn off and stays shiny for months.