Short answer
Small enclosed spaces concentrate residue. A vehicle or caravan test samples upholstery-adjacent hard surfaces, headliners, vents and cabinetry and reports against the 0.5 µg/100cm² residential figure, because a caravan or motorhome is somewhere people sleep.
Who this test is for
- Private buyers of used caravans, motorhomes and campervans
- Dealers and auction yards
- Owners of recovered stolen vehicles and their insurers
Why vehicles read differently from houses
A vehicle or caravan has a high ratio of surface to air, fabric linings and recirculating ventilation, so a small amount of smoking leaves a proportionally larger footprint than it would in a house. Headliners, dash vents, the cabin air path and cabinetry are the usual sampling points.
Before you buy a used caravan or motorhome
Ask the seller for access before money changes hands. Sampling is non-destructive and fits around an inspection. The written result gives you grounds to proceed, renegotiate or walk away.
Questions
Which guideline applies to a caravan?
Meth Testing QLD reports caravans and motorhomes against the residential figure of 0.5 µg/100cm², because people sleep in them.
Sources
- Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines (2011) — Australian Government — Attorney-General’s Department / Australian Crime Commission
- Australian Voluntary Code of Practice: Assessment, remediation and validation — former clandestine drug laboratories and other methamphetamine contaminated properties (2019) — Environmental Health Australia
Facts on this page checked against these sources on 29 October 2026.