moisture meters

[CrazyCain]

What do you guys think of moisture meters, Good, bad, best, worst, Meh!
:popcorn:

[notanlines]

Cain, we used Tramex brand mostly in the paint and blast business. Ours were in the $1500 to $2500 range so probably out of financial range of most RVers. Not only that but they take some educating to be used correctly. They aren't exactly plug and play.

[JimQ]

I have a Cen-Tech, from Harbor Freight. It's a cheap one that I bought when I started burning wood to supplement my heat in the winter. Seasoned wood should have a moisture content under 18%. I really don't need it now as my wood is seasoned for a couple of years. It will measure anywhere from 1%-35%, powered with a 9v battery. It has two prongs that contact the surface your testing. I believe it was under $10.

[JRTJH]

Not sure what kind of moisture meter you're considering, but most that I've seen for a "price a typical RV'er can afford" are direct read devices. In other words, you have to "look at the meter to get the moisture content".... So, IMHO, if I'm going to open a cupboard door to see how wet it is, I can "put a finger on the puddle" to see how deep it is without needing a meter to tell me it's wet........

The above might come across as "foolish" or "elitist" depending on how you read it, but the point is that most "affordable" moisture meters either need to be looked at or they have an alarm that tells you they are "in something wet". With an RV, if you have to be there to see the meter, it won't provide any information about moisture while you're home and the trailer is in storage. So, if you've got to "drive to Tawas to check the meter......" YMMV

[CrazyCain]

Not sure what kind of moisture meter you're considering, but most that I've seen for a "price a typical RV'er can afford" are direct read devices. In other words, you have to "look at the meter to get the moisture content".... So, IMHO, if I'm going to open a cupboard door to see how wet it is, I can "put a finger on the puddle" to see how deep it is without needing a meter to tell me it's wet........

The above might come across as "foolish" or "elitist" depending on how you read it, but the point is that most "affordable" moisture meters either need to be looked at or they have an alarm that tells you they are "in something wet". With an RV, if you have to be there to see the meter, it won't provide any information about moisture while you're home and the trailer is in storage. So, if you've got to "drive to Tawas to check the meter......" YMMV

Eh, i was just curious because i keep seeing these things popping up on social media and wondered about them. I see these hand held jobs with 2 prongs you poke on the wall or ceiling....My moister meter, ME, makes me have to up to Tawas every couple weeks and check the trailer out for a few days looking for trouble inside, outside and up top..... Not a bad thing at all. oh and so far the Hideout has been a excellent getaway on wheels for us John. We'll be heading up your way this summer again, so maybe a chat in the future,,
:popcorn:

[Lee]

Hi,

I am fortunate enough to be able to park my TT on my property, under a roof, (it rains a lot in the Great North-Wet), and plugged in ... year round.

I run a dehumidifier year round. It's on a timer.

Lee

[Tourist]

The year-round dehumidifier is a great idea. I lived up there in Puyallup for a couple years in the early 90s. Learned a new weather term, "Sunbreaks", where the sun might shine on occasion. Hehehe, now I'm back in the land of "occasional showers". But when we close up our 5er for the winter (December through March) we put a couple containers of DampRid out to take care of the off-season moisture. Has worked well for the past few years.

[SactoGuy]

We keep our trailer covered with an Adco roof cover and have it plugged in to 110v shore power. I run a couple of these Air Dryer 1000 units in our Fuzion toy hauler, one in the garage area and one in the kitchen living area.
Also, keep one in our boat that is outdoors covered with a tarp, never had problems with mildew or moisture. I’m a believer in the Air Dryer from Davis Instruments. It has a small heating element, uses about the same amount of power as a 60w light bulb and does not have a collection container to empty, just plug it in and forget it.

https://www.davisinstruments.com/product/air-dryr-1000/