Water Heater shell frame

[BobbyW]

65 Globetrotter...

I am installing a new 6 gallon Attwood Water Heater in my 65 Globetrotter. Someone down the line removed the Bowen and installed a round household H2O heater and threw away the outside access door. This is not the problem. The new Atwood fits the existing opening very well. The problem is the shell has no support framing to attach the new heater to. Only the double walled sheet aluminum. I have purchased some aluminum angle, rivets and Vulkem to fabricate what I think will work...but I am wondering if anyone else has tackled this and what your solution was. Pictures would REALLY be appreciated.

The root cause of my rotten floor in the rear of the trailer appears to have come from the original opening and the original water heater leaking. After they removed it, they screwed a piece of sheet metal (steel) to the outside of the shell and then SILICONED it. It seperated from the shell and leaked like a sieve. That is where the most damaged occured. With the new floor now in, I want to fix this right the first time and to last another 35 years.

Best Regards;

-BobbyWright