well I managed to figure out how it comes off. I had removed the 3
screws under the bottom lip but it wouldn't come off the way I
thought it should :) ie upwards.

like a left handed thread, I was doing it 180 degrees wrong... the
panel drops down. It took some taps with a soft headed hammer as it
was stuck in there tight.

all sanded and primed now. Funny thing is that the limited rust and
paint chipping was more extensive that it looked. A lot of the paint
on the panel (and especially the back vent grill that runs between
stove top and van) was loose and flaked off when sanded.

And I found on the Samba that someone noted that Rustoleum "Autumn
Brown" was a close colour match.

alistair