My cooler is so big and flat, the thermometer goes usually all the way to the bottom and I can move it around to get readings from diff areas. Jus simple.
Loose rivets can be tightened up by using two hammers. Have someone hold the item, place the flat part of one hammer on the mushroomed side, and strike the other side with the head with the other hammer. Ball peen or claw hammers work fine. Good and hard. Should only take a few hits.
The rivets hold the handles to the kettle snugly. They just aren't water tight. I'm thinking high-temp silicon sealant or something, applied liberally to the outside. It will be a while before SWMBO will be OK with my spending a few hundred on a kettle and burner, since I just bought the coolers for all-grain.