Now that the mighty WakeWorld Tige Z3 is here, it's time for a road trip. When traveling with a boat behind your vehicle, there are a few extra items you'll need to remember to make sure the trip goes smoothly. Not only should you have a spare tire for your tow vehicle, but make sure you have one for your trailer as well. The odds of the same spare fitting both are pretty slim, so make sure you've got a tire that fits the bolt pattern, tire size and wheel size appropriate for your trailer. And don't forget to check the tire pressure in your spares as well.

If you do run into the unfortunate circumstance in which you need to change out your trailer tire, you'll need to have a lug wrench and a jack. Although there are many jack options available, I've found that the simplest way to change a tire on a tandem boat trailer is to make your own simple jack.

This jack will only work with tandem (two-axle) trailers and it will take you about 15 minutes to build and probably set you back about 5 or 10 bucks. Here's what you'll need to get 'er done.

• One 6-Foot 2x6
• Eight 3.5" Deck screws
• Saw
• Drill
• Tape measure
• Screwdriver

Start by measuring the width of your trailer tire. Although my wheels are 18 inches across, the tire itself is about 26 inches across. You don't have to be precise. You're just looking for a nice base for your jack. Cut a piece of 2x6 with a length to match your tire width. Now subtract four inches and cut another one (22 inches in my case). Finally, subtract another four inches and cut another one (18 inches in my case). If you make your "steps" shorter than four inches, you run the risk of the tire hitting step two before it gets up onto step one, which means it might push your jack along rather than drive up on it.

Now you've got three pieces of 2x6. Stack them on top of each other lining them all up at one end. The other end should look like three four-inch stairs. Use a drill to put four pilot holes through the top piece of wood down through the other two to accommodate the 3.5" deck screws. Make sure you keep everything lined up and pretty. Use a clamp if you need it.

After you've got all four pilot holes drilled, run those deck screws in. They are 3.5" long, so that should be long enough to go through the top two boards and grab about a half inch of the bottom board. Once all four screws are in, flip the whole thing over and do it again by running the screws from the bottom board to the top board. Make sure you don't run the screws into each other.

Ok, you're done. See, I told you it was easy! Now tuck that under the trailer wheel sitting right next to the wheel you want to remove. If it's the rear wheel, you're going to back up onto your new jack. If it's the front wheel, you're going to go forward onto your new jack. Either way, you'll find that the tire you want to remove is now hanging in the air and ready to be taken off (assuming you loosened those lug nuts before you jacked it up).

Whenever you travel with your tandem trailer, don't forget your simple jack. It will m-m-m-make you happy!