Both these tri-folds are pretty tough and give you all the protection that you may expect from a hard cover. But which of these is a better fit for you?
The best thing about both of these covers, is that they are a very nice budget pick. So although they lack a little in performance, but it really makes sense when you look at their price tag.
The covers are also very similar looking, but there are some key differences to look for.
Let’s start things off by looking at their structure and composition.
Table of Contents
Do they provide value to money?
The Rough Country has been there since 1975, and they have been covering our trucks nicely. And now they have come up with one of their latest one, the “Low Profile”.
So is the cover really low profiled?
Well sure to some extent, yes, the cover sits quiet flushed, (but in my personal opinion, nothing beats the Lomax Stance tonneau cover in “how low can you go?”)
But yes, you can say this: Nothings sits more flushed than RC Low Profile, (in this price range).
The cover is made out of tough aluminum of aircraft grade (this grade is light weight and at the same time durable enough).
But the thing to note here, is that this cover is not exclusively aluminum, and its an alloy (mixture). And also, there’s a composite material which then covered by these aluminum alloy sheets.
Still they look and work great, especially with the extra layer of matte finish on top which gives this cover a nice and decent semi glossy look.
If you wanna talk about looks, I like the fact that its end caps and hinges have the/coated with same color, and they look really great.
Accessory wise, the cover comes with traditional stuff, rails, seals (not EPDM), 2 drain tubes, weather stripping and clamps.
Installation is not that difficult and it takes about 20 to 30 minutes. (But note here that for drain tubes, you may have to drill in to your truck).
So what’s not to like in RC Low Profile?
The panels have rubber shoes/bumpers, but their quality can be improved a little bit, but sure they are cheap and you can always replace them so it’s not really a con.
I do however, consider this a con: With RC Low Profile, you won’t be able to access 100% of your bed. As the cover can not be propped up and so it takes about 1 feet and 10 inches of your trucks space.
And this cover has a nice texture sure, but its very hard to clean them. It’s texture really invites in the dirt to settle in. And so they are always dirty.
Let’s talk about our other cover now.
So the Gator EFX, like mentioned is also a budget pick and it costs also makes sense, as this cover also comes with the same aluminum alloy panels with the coating/finishing on top (composite material sandwiched with aluminum alloy plates).
Installation time is also pretty much the same for this cover as well, 20 to 30 minutes, and the cover comes with same accessories for installation.
Now as for the design, the cover sits flushed too (a little bit lower than RC Low Profile though). It sits about 1 of 8th inch above the side caps of your truck.
The weather stripping overlaps on the rails a little bit and in this price range, its expected (but it does provide a better seal). And also you may have to drill holes in your truck for the drain tubes.
So what’s the con with Gator EFX?
Well, again its same, you can not have full bed access with it. It can be secured up to 2/3rd position but can’t be propped up like other premium covers.
Make sure you watch the following video as well.
Protection Comparison – Which Is Better?
The Rough Country Low Profile is just as durable as the Gator EFX. Both of them provide you with almost the same composition/structure and have the same weight bearing capacity of 300 lbs.
But note here that the Gator EFX weighs a little lighter (55 pounds of packed box compared to RC’s 70 pounds).
Gator EFX also provides you with a little bit of better sealing. Although both provide you with similar rails with drain tubes, the rubber seals which sit on top of its rails has less width in RC Low Profile.
Other than this both covers are good at resisting water leakage. Nice bulkhead seals and lateral seal’s between the panels.
Performance
Both of them have a cable-latch system installed in them.
From either side of the vehicle, you can pull the cable out to disengage the latches.
But the cable-latch system is installed beneath the bed and can only be accessed if the tailgate is opened (like most of the hard folding covers out there).
Both covers can only be secured up to 2/3rd position and can’t not be propped up with rods (like you see in BAKFlip MX4).
So they take up almost 1.5 to 2 feets of space of your truck bed.
Both covers are equally UV protective and scratch resistant.
So what’s the verdict?
Well both covers are as cheap as it can get. And they both are equally durable with the weight rating of 300 lbs. Also they both give you a 3 year warranty.
But here the Gator EFX provides you with better overall sealing and is lightweight in comparison.
But at the same the the RC Low Profile sits more flushed and looks a little better.
So now it’s up to your choice.