I just went through this. The HD in my county is notorious for being strict...so here's what I did.
I worked with the HD to design a trailer from the ground up. I submitted the plan to them before ever building it. They bought off on it - then I pulled the trigger and built it. My HD was very easy going when working with them. Was it cheap? No - but was it done right? Yes. I NEVER worry when getting inspected by the HD now, in fact, most walk in - look around, take a few temps and say sign here. No questions asked or issues.
That being said, I prefer working indoors - no wind, no rain, less heat with an air conditioner and warrmer with a heater. A refrigerator, 3 bay sinks, hand wash sink, and lots of shelving plus my own bathroom and sleeping quarters makes for a sweet day of vending. I can't count how many time this year I've been so glad to have everything inside out of the weather while it was pouring rain. No scrambling to pick up and pack up when bad weather hits while vending. Much easier to setup and breakdown too. Cleaning is a SNAP.
Anyway - back to the original question...the smoker..
I agree - less tending is WAY better. I use an insulated offset and have it running on LP like an ole hickory/southern pride. Once I'm done cooking for the day - it makes an AWESOME holding cabinet. My HD likes me using the Stoker to log the cook and temps a s well. I show them the log, they're good to go.
Hope this helps...I learned a lot this year vending about 2x's a month, large venues and small ones.