CampChef DLX modifications/upgrades

[cscheib]

I've had my DLX for about 4 years now, and I'm going to deep clean it, and possibly either upgrade or replace some parts.

The auger motor is pretty loud. I suspect it got louder after pellets got wet. Has anyone replaced the motor or had loudness issues with the auger?

My drip tray has some corrosion, and has a bunch of caked-on gunk. Has anyone replaced theirs with the "higher gauge" steel ones from SmokeDaddy? There's a whole kit that includes the drip tray, deflector, and burn pot... just wondering if upgrading any/all of these things has any appreciable value. Or if I should save my money and just get the OEM replacement tray.

Another potential upgrade would be the control panel. Has anyone used both the original and newer-gen w/ wifi? Is the newer gen worth it? I have a Thermoworks Smoke w/ the RF remote, so I know the temp of the smoker already. Are there other compelling reasons to upgrade?

While I'm going to have the thing taken apart, are there any other things I should look at doing?

[cscheib]

Sorry, just saw I posted this in the Gas portion of the forum...

Can a mod please move to Pellets?

[GolfGeezer]

I had a 2016 DLX and upgraded most of the innards using the kits and components from SmokeDaddy including their PID controller, auger and fan replacement. No WiFi back then. The main reason I did it was to help with temp management. The CC controller at that time was the "timed auger turning" one that would run the auger on a timing algorithm - swings of +/- 30*. The SD upgrade kit was a definite improvement. I also had to replace the drip pan and deflector. The pan rusted and the deflector warped after 1 year.

[Whiskeyman53]

I have the same temp swings, I plan on replacing the temp probe to see if that helps. My next step would be to replace the control panel. Was the upgrade difficult and worth it in the long run?