1.) I think most folks here would tell you RF all day long...
2.) Mine isn't insulated at all and it does ok in the cold...it just uses more wood and need a little more attention. I cooked a couple turkeys when it was 15-20° F and a brisket a month later when it was 20-30° F. I probably used twice as much fuel vs the cooks that were on 80° days. It can't hurt to insulate, especially if you can't get your cooker out of the wind.
3.) That sounds like a good size. Figure out the dimensions of your cooking grates and make sure they are sized right for the food types and quantities you want to cook.
4.) It is my belief that a water pan is counter productive in a reverse flow smoker. You want the juices to hit the baffle plate and steam up the cook chamber with their own flavor filled humidity. Nothing I've cooked yet came out dry...
6.) WAF - let her help with the design...you'll be able to spend more! Mine wanted sturdy fenders on the trailer...and I under estimated how much I was going to spend on mine by $1,000 and we're still on speaking terms. I think she knows to at least double any of my estimates based on past experience so she wasn't too surprised.
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