[markem]

My understanding is that the pit barrel smoker holds steady heat. Before buying another, I'd contact them and get their opinion of suitability for the types of temps (and winds!) that you plan to use it with.

I have a ceramic smoker ($$... okay $$$) that holds perfect temps, but still needs a bit of babysitting for long smokes at low temps. I plan to at a BBQ guru this winter (Xmas present to myself!) so that I don't have to sit it ($$).

With your temp fluctuations, the amount of heat loss through the sides of the smoker could be high. I had this with my Traeger smokers and basically could not use them in colder temps because the heat was focused in such a small area.

How big to you want? The size for a full brisket packer or turkey can have quite the volume to keep warm.