Looking at putting the tandem on a rear rack. Without the wheels on it’s just slightly wider than the mirrors on the car – but would be narrower than the mirrors if I took the pannier rack off the tandem. Does anybody know what the rules are on how wide a load you’re allowed to have on a car?

Caravans are wider than cars.

my bikes with wheels on are wider than the car [ just] but not mirrors.
I think you will be fine but have no legal basis to make that decision and would just use it

Maximum width for a car-towed trailer in the UK is 2.55m or about 8 foot 4 inches so I guess you’ll be OK under that.

My XL 29er with wheels on is wider than the car, boarder line wider than the mirrors.

I used to put 2 bikes with wheels on the back of a fiat 500 – significantly wider than the car (and probably the mirrors although I never checked and have now sold the car) and I never had any issue with it. I don’t know whether that’s because it was OK or because I was never caught though.

Thanks all – I’ll stop worrying about that then and leave the pannier rack on. Have just fitted a towbar rack to the back of my Mondeo which was already longer than a long thing (and also quite wide, hence why the tandem doesn’t overhang by much), so I’m going to be careful driving that barge around when loaded up.

Put one of these warning signs on it if you’re worried about others seeing it at night
I’m sure they are mandatory in some countries

technically a board and lights is required but everything is intact. Not any wider than caravan towing mirrors.

I take the wheels off ours – rack obviously makes a difference and a pain to remove but could take the front wheel off?

That looks well loaded, but I reckon you’ll be nowhere near me for overall dimensions when I take my longer than a long thing:

put 4 bikes including a tandem on the back and one of these:

or maybe one of these:

or maybe both on the roof (though this trip I’m not taking any kayaks).

🙂

I suppose in theory having the bikes on the back does get rid of the issue of the rear overhang from those boats (which are longer than even a Mondeo estate!)

People who think cars are big vehicles make me smile 🙂

aracer – here’s “the rules” (http://assets.highways.gov.uk/specialist-information/abnormal-loads-industry-guidelines/A_brief_guide_to_overhanging_loads.pdf) not sure if the “side of the vehicle” means exactly that on the edge of the mirrors? I’ve always assume it was the side. However you’ve got 30 cm either side to play with so should be fine.