OP here... I did want to report that I got it set up and have used it a few times. Works great, holds heat well, takes a bit of getting used to when controlling the temperature. First recipe was a spatchcocked chicken with a Thai wet rub. Basically followed the recipe in the book for chicken but used my own seasonings made from stuff I had in my CSA box plus a lime. Pulled pork, steak, burgers, have all worked great too. Haven't tried pizza yet, but it seems like it should work pretty well.
If my Father's Day present wasn't "let me go to San Diego for a week but don't whine about it" then I would have looked at one of those temperature control things. I've heard BBQ Guru and Stoker recommended here. Pros/cons/consensus/options?
Set it up myself. It wasn't hard, but was a little tedious. Moving it from the garage to the deck across the lawn was a pain. Better to assemble it where you're going to use it.