First post, ongoing problem......

[Saber 4]

Welcome aboard, everyone has given you great advice, including the boiling water on long cooks I replace the bowl after the smoke phase with a 9x13 disposable cake pan and boiling water so I can go longer without opening the door. If you don't have one already get a probe thermometer that you can drop the wire through the vent and either put in the meat for to cook to IT or let it hang to get a better idea of your cabinet temp.

As for the element upgrade, you may want to try some of the methods recommended and play with yours as is for a while before you decide on upgrading. Bradley's customer service is absolutely awesome especially on warranty issues but once you do the mods you void your warranty which may not be a big deal for you but I wanted you to be aware before you decided what to do to your smoker. :)