Trek Systems Expands Beyond RV Solar

With a new name and plans to expand its product offerings, a Colorado-based supplier of off-grid solar products for RVs seems poised for growth. Trek Systems is the new name of the company formerly known as RV Solar Connections. Founder and CEO Caza Gomis says the new moniker more aptly describes the company’s evolving services.

“We started with RV Solar because at the time, it was really hard to find anyone who specialized in this area for RVs, and campers in particular. That name was really useful in the beginning. But as we grew and took on different projects and other applications outside of RVs, it became clear that we needed to reconsider the name. While it is true that the RV market is our specialty and our bread and butter, these other markets are important for us as well, and we have the skill set and the capability to support those. Trek is a nice middle ground.”

In addition to RVs, Trek Systems serves a variety of markets, including marine, telecom, agriculture, military, security and data center sectors.

“Those who are familiar with RV Solar know our experience in the mobile world,” Gomis explains. “So it fits for those literally going on a trek, but we can also frame it in the sense of moving toward a sustainable future. We tried to be a bit clever with the name. The word solar also was sort of boxing us in, because the energy systems now are so much more than solar, and in some cases, people may not even have solar in their system.”

A larger part of what Trek Systems does is system design and product recommendations. Its primary product line is from Victron Energy. Trek Systems helps RV dealerships, RV service providers, OEMs, builders of camper vans, specialty trailers and even some higher end luxury motorhomes.

“We help them design the system and to understand the best parts and equipment to use, and then we support them throughout the implementation of that, from installation all the way through helping their customer with any needs for support,” Gomis says. “If the customers have any issues down the road, they can lean on us to assist.”

Trek Systems also has manufacturing capabilities. The company can put together prefabricated systems for customers who want to install them in their van or motorhome. Trek Systems can perform all the prewiring and preprogramming, allowing customers to just drop the system into place.

Trek Systems works with a network of about 150 organizations, comprised of RV dealers, OEMs and service providers.

“If a customer goes to a dealer here in Colorado, where we are located, and they have a solar system installed and then it is all great,” Gomis says. “But then, say they travel to California and they have issues. If they contact their dealer, that dealership troubleshoots with them and determines someone needs to get hands-on, they are not going to expect that customer to come back to Colorado for this service. The customer might not know who to call in California to find someone who is well-versed in this equipment, because that can vary tremendously across dealerships. The dealer can reach out to us, and we will help them get connected to the right place for help.”

When Trek Systems begins working with a dealer, representatives make sure the company understands what they do, their experience level and the level of support that would be most useful for them. Trek Systems hosts training sessions about five times a year in Denver as part of the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) Level 3 course for energy systems.

“We also inform them about our system design services,” Gomis says. “An issue with some dealerships is, even if they have competent technicians, who have come to our class and are experienced with these systems, their salespeople still may not know how to put together a materials list for a system, depending on what the customer is asking for and what they need.”

Another big part of what Trek Systems does, Gomis says, is knowing the questions to ask a customer and getting the details on what they want to be able to do.

“For example, they might want to be able to run the air conditioning all night, or all day and night. If you can find out what their expectations are, we can take that and put together a parts list for what they are going to need,” she says. “Then the dealer can put together a competitive quote for that customer for installation and materials. Then they will be in a better position to close that sale for this aftermarket upfit.”

Gomis says Trek Systems will back dealers up with tech support; several staff members specialize with Victron Systems, and energy systems in general.

Looking ahead, Trek Systems has a longer range strategy of providing products and services beyond energy to RV dealers and service suppliers.

“While energy is still our primary pillar and focus, there are two other aspects we have been working with for a while, and now have specific products for,” Gomis says. “One is connectivity, or being able to stay connected to the internet while you are driving across country, even in very remote places. Then the other is controls. We can build custom dashboards or develop systems where you as a user are notified ahead of time if, for instance, your battery is low. In the RV world, it is pretty well known for the owner to come back to an RV and find the battery dead. The control system we can install will alert customers.”

Gomis says the OEM or RV dealer can offer this as an add-on subscription to customers and notify customers if there is something that needs to be addressed.

The company was founded in 2020 when, Gomis says, there wasn’t much support for energy systems installed in RVs that would allow someone to live comfortably off-grid in their RV, or to have a backup power source.

“We started with installing equipment, and it quickly became clear that we were needed to consult remotely with folks and offer guidance and coaching in a concise way at a professional level,” she says. “It evolved into a distribution company. We no longer do installations, because we do not want to compete with our customers. So now when those requests come in, we refer that out to our partners. We went from doing the installation of equipment to supporting those who are doing the installation.”

In June, Trek Systems hosted a webinar for its network of dealers covering several manufacturers specializing in solar products for RVs — an example of how Trek Systems has evolved into a resource for anything energy related.

“If you look at various OEMs, they have started implementing solar packages that you can get from the factory,” Gomis says. “But still, aftermarket upfitters are staying really busy as well. There was a concern after COVID that the increase in RV sales was just a bubble, but it is still holding as far as more people wanting to be able to get off-grid. Those consumers are still very relevant. The cost of lithium batteries has come down so much, it is incredible, compared to a few years ago. That opens it up for a lot more people.”