Access Door Install & Lower Body Repair

[Brave Sole]

The Hot Water tank came out, leaving a nice hole in the side! A new access door off eBay for $40 did the trick. Once i started cutting away a bit more of the side panel, I noticed a lot of rotted wood falling away. There was no wood left!, so I cut/removed the lower panel and fabricated a one piece replacement from aluminum diamond plate. Using 5/8 plywood and structural adhesive I applied the tin backing and the diamond plate, clamped it down good, and let it sit overnight. One solid panel emerged! I plan on replacing all the lower panel area like this. Not sure if I will paint to match or leave it as buffed aluminum.

[Brave Sole]

Here is another picture of the new panel. Im also going to paint the black border and the door to match the original colors. and continue the Yellow strip through it.