Opening joint in Traveller woodwork

[mortimer]

Hello everyone,

This is a question about Morris Traveller woodwork. As you can see in the photo, the wood joint on the rear wheel arch is beginning to split apart.

I have seen the posts in the Bodywork section describing how to restore and preserve the timber. They suggest using a resin type glue mixed with sawdust for opened joints.

Would you say that this joint has opened enough to warrant this procedure, or can I try something else beforehand? It would look better if I could just pop the joint back into place somehow.

Thank you in advance for your help.

David[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Something is forcing the joint out - are the floor/chassis rails etc in good order? Is the wheel arch showing any sign of opening up?

[taupe]

Its probably that the screws holding it together have rusted through

Taupe

[simmitc]

Looks like any Traveller joint that's more than ten years old. Filling now will prevent water ingress.

[mortimer]

Thanks for all your replies.

As far as I can tell, everything else is OK.

I am not sure how to check the screws - if they are broken and I just fill the joint, will this become a problem?

Also, is this a load-bearing joint?

Apologies for any daft questions - I am a new owner, currently learning how to take good care of my Traveller that I bought at the end of last year.

[aupickup]

probabaly just normal movement and shrinkage of any timber over the years