Moisture Meter - which one?

[offroad]

When shopping for a van would think that having a moisture meter would be of tremendous value.  There is a pinned version and a pinless version.  It can look at carpet, and wood flooring and food paneling and tell you if there is moisture and how much.   Given that one of the most difficult issues with RV-van-truck purchase is the hidden leaks, would think this is a required tool.

But which one?  Which tool to get?  I see there are many designs. Some have pins, and some do not need pins.  Have no idea which will even work, so maybe you want a liberal return policy.  Prices are from $20 to $100. 

http://amzn.com/B00HARYVUQ

The link is juts one example.  Please if someone can make a recommendation?  Bob - what do you think?

 

[MikeRuth]

IMHO I would not need this as if there was a problem with water leakage somewhere I'm sure it would be easily detectable.
Lets say were looking at the roof lines if it's a bare roof no problem, if it is already covered in some fashion then a close up inspection by eye, hand and feel would likely reveal a potential problem. If you were purchasing in the warm months and no rain had been around(so cal) then the chances of any moisture would be nadda.

Floors obviously in many cases would have a covering, you should be able to pull up a piece or several and see what lies beneath.

I'm confident in my own ability to discover a water leak issue. If your not take someone that is. I'd prefer that over a meter.

Mike R

 

[offroad]

We all do not have water damage detecting friends to go shopping for RV. My sense of smell sucks, so I will not detect mold. Do know to look for stain patterns. Also will look at pressurized systems a little more closely for leaks. And to see if they hold pressure.

 

[compassrose]

I always figured it was better to assume the RV roof leaks. Just like I assume the tires will need to be replaced. Reseal the roof and replace the tires... ALWAYS. Back when I was looking for a used RV, David & I looked at far too many "just like new, no leaks" RVs that had far too much water damage to mess with. Most common leak sites: windows, city water inlet, water heater, roof racks & ladders. Also the entry tended to have rot. And people get pissed when you point out the water damage ("excuse me, but the huge bulge under the window indicates water damage"). Even when we bought the bus, we assumed that the roof and windows leaked until we learned differently.

 

[GotSmart]

When looking at things that have the potential for water leaks I cary a small screwdriver.  


If it looks suspicious, I poke at it.   :idea:

But since I have made a lot of money rebuilding kitchens and bathrooms, I know what to look for, and can smell mildew a room away.  

If someone tells me there is no leak, I pull it out and start looking.    Nothing says rot like a screwdriver stuck in supposed solid flooring.  

 

[Almost There]

Poking at things will probably work most of the time!

But not all the time.

When I bought this van it had paneling all over the walls and the upper fiberglass top. While it was so ugly that I knew it was coming out there was absolutely no signs of water damage. Good thing it WAS really ugly, had I chosen to leave it in place, I'd have never known until it was too late!

After much grunting and grrrring while removing all the layers of woodwork, I found all the leaks. All that moisture was being absorbed into the pink fiberglass insulation and into the underlaying support wood structure.

10 spots on the fiberglass roof had to be sealed and the side window in the high top is scheduled for a R&R next week. Amongst other construction errors the PO had installed things on the roof without ever using sealant...sigh!!