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Post Info TOPIC: Get yourself one of these and be surprised
Brodie Allen


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More likely dismayed - now that there's been a good term of wet it is

a good time to search for unknown and invisible leaks. And to trace

known leaks to their obscure and often far away origins.

 

If your van is outside in the weather a moisture meter is an essential

accessory. For a miserable $25 you can test, trace and find the source

of water weeps that can be occurring behind the panelling and other

concealed places so easily and then stand a good chance of sealing

them before rot and mold take hold.

 

And you will likely have leaks that you do not yet know about.

 

Case in point - I have been bothered with a weep after says of rain

with a few drops of water in a corner of the van flooring. I have spent

many, many hours searching, sealing and frigging around looking for

the source. To cut to the chase, I resealed all the roof with a very tidy 

bead of silastic and so-on to no avail. Turned out the leak was a capillary

action from the screws that bolt the awning braces to the frame - but

I suspected that it was coming thru lousy sealing of the coving around

the outer roof perimeter higher up.

 

However the finder soon revealed that the area above the screws was dry -

but immediately below was wet.

 

I have taken the little jigger to two friend's premises and have unfortunately

within a few minutes found damp inside the walls, floor, a cupboard and

foot step entry on one or the other of their vans. And that was only in a

few minutes of fiddling in each van.

 

Neither had any idea that their vans were leaky in the areas discovered.

3 different brands of van - all with water ingress problems. One was only

12 months old. The bloke on the TV that seals boats up with spray maybe

could turn his attentions to caravans !!!!!

 

ps - I was so impressed with this little thing that I spent an hour under

the house and located a slow leak from an ac outlet that had begun to

rot the floorboards.

 

Disclosure - yep, I have shares in Wesfarmers!

 

 

 

 



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Possum3


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A good accessory for any caravan owner to help detect and repair leaks before they cause costly damage.

It's not only "stick & tin" caravans that leak, many of the composite vans are notorious leak prone disasters.

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dorian


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Thanks, good tip.

Does this meter have two probes which sense the resistance of the target (like a soil moisture meter)?

Can you provide a link to your meter?

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jade46


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I can't see what he is talking about or any link?

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dorian


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Maybe something like this?

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-6-60-0-2-2-9-digital-moisture-meter_p0201242



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Brodie Allen


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Yes! That's it.

I don't know why the link didn't copy and paste - but anyway thanks for the assistance.

I was trying to make it a click link but this forum doesn't convert it - if nthere's a way, can you post the info pls?

Two of the three vans were composite construction and the stick and tin one
was the hardest to test because you couldn't find the wood easily. The floor where the water ended up
was the give-away - there was no possible way to tell without the little meter. The floor covering
when closely examined was just beginning to bubble.

One composite was due to hopelessly inadequate sealant on the roof, and the other had a slow leak
from plumbing under the sink from the heater and two windows very slow leak.

Brodie.

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dorian


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How to insert a click-able link on this forum:

https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/mobile.spark?p=topic&topic=67579989



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ConsumerMan


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Mmm, interesting. Do the probes need to just touch the surface of the material you want to analyse or do they need to penetrate the surface? I dont want to have little holes all over my caravan.

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Rob Driver


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ConsumerMan wrote:

Mmm, interesting. Do the probes need to just touch the surface of the material you want to analyse or do they need to penetrate the surface? I dont want to have little holes all over my caravan.

 The testers with probes are generally used for checking the moisture content of timber.

The testers to check walls and other surfaces of different composites are the type with two flat surfaces that can be placed upon a wall or similar without causing damage. They are non invasive compared to the wood testing units.

The surface type is selected on the meter prior to checking for moisture

Here is a typical tester used by building inspectors to test a variety of surfaces. 
Note that they arent cheap

https://moisturemeters.com.au/collections/tramex-moisture-meters

Some  very modern moisture meters are designed to work in conjunction with thermal imaging equipment.

Areas of moisture in a wall may be cooler or warmer depending on the ambient temperature surrounding the test area


And for the *Debbie Doubters* on this forum this information came from Angies brother who is a registered building inspector and a Licenced Pest Manager






-- Edited by Rob Driver on Tuesday 30th of November 2021 08:50:39 AM

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Rob

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Brodie Allen


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ConsumerMan wrote:

Mmm, interesting. Do the probes need to just touch the surface of the material you want to analyse or do they need to penetrate the surface? I dont want to have little holes all over my caravan.

 Yes but they are very small - and they can be filled with a microscopic

bit of filler on a finger.

 

But consider this - if there's moisture getting in, the holes will be HUGE

over time. And I'm yet to find a van that has not got a problem particularly

after a few years of flexing on the highway. Vans always under cover likely

excepted.



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