I think the idea that the entire cooking chamber must be even temp wise is over rated, I know where my hotter area is and when I flip I move things around, also if you have items that take longer due to their size I can leave them where its hotter. Sometimes I'm cooking poultry and want to have it at a higher cooking temp so place it where its hotter, etc.
I think your smoker looks great and I believe as already mentioned you'll quickly like stick burning once you try it.
Your pics made my dinner look pretty sub par, but when my wife cooks I never say anything negative. That's 33 years of experience talking.