The best caravan moisture meter provides owners with a way of detecting water leaks in their tourers, something which can remain undetected for an extended period of time and subsequently cause irreparable damage, or at the very least, could cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds to repair.
Keeping a van ventilated, as well as investing in the best caravan dehumidifier, can help you to combat damp, but it also makes excellent sense to give yourself a good chance of detecting problems at the earliest possible stage, allowing any issues to be addressed. The best way to do this is via a professional inspection, including an annual habitation check – the equipment that experts use is likely to be far superior to anything that you buy, and it takes experience to interpret the results.
An alternative method will be through a caravan damp meter. This is a small, hand-held electronic device. Most have two short, spiked prongs which you press against or into wall or flooring panels. The device measures the difference in the electric current flowing between the two spikes, and uses this information to measure the amount of moisture in the panel. The level of moisture content is displayed as a percentage on a small screen.
Warning: We’d always advise using your moisture meter with great caution. You should always avoid leaving marks in visible surfaces, and never use them in a van that’s not yours (for example, if you’re thinking of buying a used caravan). If you have any concerns, they should be followed up by a consultation with an expert.
While professional-spec moisture meters are not cheap, decent-quality DIY meters can be purchased cheaply and are effective. We’re sharing our pick of six of the best caravan moisture meters, featuring products from Bosch, Draper and more. We’ve also consulted David Hayes, of Out & About Motorhomes and Caravans, in Peterborough, South Lincolnshire, an AWS-accredited leisure vehicle technician, who explains what the different readings moisture meter readings mean.
After a way of sprucing up your tourer’s exterior instead? Then our best caravan cleaner guide will help, as we share our standout picks on the market.
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The best caravan moisture meter:
Bosch UniversalHumid
Draper Moisture Meter
Safeguard DryZone Moisture Meter
Proster Pinless Moisture Meter
Imex Moisture Meter MP100
Protimeter Mini
RDINSCOS Damp Meter MT19
A moisture meter for a caravan – our top picks:
Bosch UniversalHumid
Reason to buy:
- Straightforward to use
Reason to avoid:
- Pricier than some other options here
Designed for wooden surfaces, this meter is battery powered (3 x AAA) and gives its results on an LCD display in the form of a percentage. Something we like is how it also has a light-system where Green indicates lower than 12% moisture, Yellow denotes 12-20% moisture and Red shows there is a higher moisture content than 20%.
Handily, the last two readings are saved for comparison purposes. We think this is an ergonomic to use moisture meter for a caravan and like how it has the added reassurance of being a quality Bosch product.
Draper Moisture Meter
Reason to buy:
- Easy to store
Reason to avoid:
- Coloured displays seen on other moisture meters could be easier for some to see
One of our favourite features with this diminutive damp meter (43618) is how it is super pocketable, making it easy to stash in a drawer or locker when it’s not needed. We’re also fans of its similarly compact price and appreciate how it is relatively straightforward to use – something we like to see in any gadget.
The LCD read-out displays the % moisture and the ambient temperature. Levels up to 42% are registered, which we reckon should be fine, so long as you haven’t parked your van in a swimming pool! Something we will point out is the display doesn’t provide the coloured screen that other options in our guide have.
Safeguard DryZone Moisture Meter
Reason to buy:
- Budget-friendly, simple to use
Reason to avoid:
- Some users have reported that the cap is difficult to remove
We reckon this moisture meter should be able to deliver professional quality at an enthusiast price point. Able to accurately measure moisture, it will then display the result on a large clear LCD digital read-out. Working on wood and other building materials, it’s easy to use and, thanks to its standout colours, will be easy to spot after you put it down.
We think it’s incredibly useful that it will automatically power-off if it’s not been used for three minutes too, conserving your battery power.
A feature we particularly like is the audio alerts it offers if moisture above 20% is found. Like the Bosch in our guide, it relies on three AAA batteries to operate, something that most caravanners will have in their tool kits.
Proster Pinless Moisture Meter
Reason to buy:
- Pinless option
Reason to avoid:
- Cheaper options available
Offering an effective method for checking your tourer’s moisture levels, this Proster is unique within our guide to caravan moisture meters in that it’s pinless. It is capable of detecting moisture to a depth of 19mm and if it does, a combination of a sound alert and lights will ensure you know. Running on a 9V battery, it comes with a backlit LCD screen and also comes with a useful storage bag provided.
Imex Moisture Meter MP100
Reason to buy:
- Large, clear display
Reason to avoid:
- Read-out is more basic than others in this round-up
This is a ‘simple and precise’ tool for measuring moisture levels in a range of materials including timber. It’s easy to handle, with a large, clear LCD that may suit those with less-than-perfect eyesight. Its LED colour-coding displays in Blue for 5 to 11.9% moisture (Ideal). Green shows 12 to 15.9% (Moderate), while Red denotes 16 to 50% damp (Excessive). This tool comes with a one year warranty.
Protimeter Mini
Reason to buy:
- Single-button operation, colour-coded display
Reason to avoid:
- Expensive
There’s no denying the cost of this option, but we think it’s a great caravan moisture meter to consider. Operating on a 9V battery, we really like how the colour-coded display on the Protimeter makes it easy to tell whether the moisture level is within an acceptable range: Green – Dry, Yellow – Borderline or Red – Damp. This is confirmed with the corresponding % read out. With single-button operation and rugged build quality, this device is ideal for the outdoorsy caravanner.
We think it’s handy that it comes with an extension pin prod too, which makes reaching any hard-to-access areas more straightforward.
RDINSCOS Damp Meter MT19
Reason to buy:
- Budget price, clean display
Reason to avoid:
- A less recognisable brand name than some others here
This budget-priced meter runs on three AAA-sized batteries and comes with a large, clear backlit LCD display. Read-outs are shown in percentages, backed up with DRY, MID or WET graphics. It’s useful to see it comes with two replacement pins as well, ensuring you won’t have to immediately buy a new moisture meter if one of the pins accidentally breaks.
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Which caravan moisture readings should cause concern?
Expert leisure vehicle technician David Hayes explains what he looks out for:
- 0-15%: “These low levels of moisture are all perfectly normal.”
- 15-20%: “These areas might require investigation. If we spot this in a spring test, we’ll book the van in for a retest in the autumn, to see if the levels have increased or decreased.”
- 20-30%: “Again, this level of moisture requires further investigation. We’ve frequently found that using a high-pressure washer on your tourer can force water into tiny gaps and create this level of readings.”
- 30%+: “This level may indicate structural damage, which might not be visible to the naked eye. We would carry out further investigations to locate the source of the ingress creating the damp.”
Where are the most common places to find moisture in a caravan?
The most common areas in a caravan to find high moisture levels include:
- Around flues (especially roof flues)
- Around toilet bases
- Around window frames
- Close to external panel joints
- Under sinks and handbasins
- In the floor panels at the corners of the caravan interior
Water ingress and warranties
All new vans come with warranties, which for caravan water ingress can last for up to 10 years.
To maintain your warranty protection, you must have your tourer serviced each year, within a strict servicing ‘window’. If your caravan is serviced outside of the window, even by a single day, it could invalidate any warranty claim.
An accredited service will check all key areas of the tourer for issues, giving you the opportunity to react quickly if, for example, some exterior sealant has failed.
Ignoring evidence of higher-than-normal moisture readings is unwise and could end up costing you significant amounts, either in repairs or in a lower residual value for your tourer when you come to sell it.
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Caravan, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances and skill level. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. You should check that any van warranty will not be affected before proceeding with DIY projects.
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