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The vinyl on the inner skin is laminated to .050 (or close) aluminum. It is like a super duty contact paper on the metal. These pieces go from the front to rear main ribs. This along with the curve of the body has to make an extremely strong sructure. It is probably overkill for what is needed, but is what allows these to last 40+ years. One problem I see is that the ribs (on mine) were not attached to the sill. The skins were used to provide the strength. Paneling (or even hardwood plywood thin enough to follow the inner curve) really isn't designed to be a structural element. You will also loose strength because the sections will run vertically as opposed to the one piece front to rear horizontal runs. When you do your cabinetry I would try and make a few heavy floor to ceiling partitions where you could tie to a rib.
Before insulating I made sure I had no leaks. I resealed all openings and let it go through some pretty good storms just to make sure. Before Dow bought the outfit that made the foam I used, they had a good website with a Q&A section. One of the things they touted was the sealing properties because of the way it expands to fill the smallest hole or gap and they were right. I can't imagine there will be a lot of problems with leaks or moisture buildup. I like the idea of sealing the panels with polyurethane, but don't think you will need a vapor barrier. If you are concerned that moisture is going to be a problem I would use small vents near the top and bottom of the panels . These could be inside a storage area or closet and not normally visible.
The ribs are only about 5/8" wide where they attach to the skins. I put 1/4" thick self adhesive foam weatherstrip (closed cell, no moisture transfer) on the ribs, rolled some 1/8x2 aluminum to match the curve and pop riveted it to the rib/weatherstrip. That also gave a 2" wide piece to mount the paneling.
John
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