Gator SRI is made up of marine-grade vinyl with the texture of grain finish that gives a super tough look. In contrast, Gator SRX is made up of commercial-grade vinyl while having the same look grain finish as does its counterpart.
For SRI, it can sit 1.5 inches above truck bed rails, offering total bed access and more space for the luggage. It also has a self-adjusting tension system which makes it easy to use.
And for the SRX, all you need is small hand tools such as a socket and a wrench to install this cover, no drilling is required. Moreover, it surprisingly comes with a 10-year warranty, indicating its comparatively higher durability even with the lower grade of vinyl used.
To buy the best truck cover, keep in mind the following features and get the best one to move your luggage on the highways.
Table of Contents
Protection Comparison
The most crucial factor while purchasing truck covers is to make sure about its protection against weather and acts of God, to better protect your gears and luggage inside.
So, in the case of SR1, it comes with great protection against harsh weather conditions.
It has a trigger latch on each side, so it will not open in storms or during heavy rainfall. Secondly, it is highly waterproof, so your gears and tools will not get damp during the wet condition.
On the other hand, SRX only has a single latch on one side. Nevertheless, it gives protection against harsh weather conditions as its straps tightly hold the covers, so that it doesn’t get open during heavy storms.
But, in the terms of protection, SR1 is highly recommended because it has better waterproofing ability compared to the other cover.
Durability Comparison
SR1 is made up of thicker marine-grade vinyl and its surface has a little texture of the grain. Its thicker and solid material makes it super tough and solid. It comes with a warranty of around 5 years only.
In contrast, the SRX is constructed with highly durable commercial vinyl material along with the same texture finish as its counterpart. It comes with a lifetime warranty of 10 years.
Both the covers are durable but the double warranty period of SRX indicates its higher durability in comparison to the other cover.
Comparison of Ease of Use
SR1 also doesn’t need to be drilled to install it on the truck. You easily install it on your own with a socket and wrench. But it doesn’t have an automatic tension-adjusted system.
It has three crossbars that you need to move to produce or reduce tension.
To open this cover, simply open the tailgate. Then pull the trigger latch from the passenger’s side and then from the driver’s side. After that, roll up it towards the cab. Strap it down and it is ready for hauling.
SRX is remarkably easy to install. You don’t need to drill; only basic hand tools are required.
One more interesting fact about this cover is that it comes with self-adjusted tensions. It has tension springs on each side that will adjust the tension automatically and give your cover a flat look.
To open the cover, firstly, open the tailgate. Then pull the trigger latch at the driver’s side. After that roll up the cover to the cab of the truck. In the same way, you can close this cover by rolling it down towards tailgate.
Both these covers are easier to use as SR1 has self-adjusted tensions, while in SRX, we don’t need to pull the latch from both the driver and passenger sides.
Security Comparison
As mentioned above, SR1 has a dual trigger latch at each side. It means that both the latches must be pulled to open it. This increases the security provided by this cover since it is difficult to open it.
Comparatively, SRX has only one trigger latch that can be easily opened by jerks. This decreases the reliability of this cover in terms of security and puts the luggage at the risk of being stolen.
Therefore, in terms of security, SR1 is the better choice as it takes more time to open, and theft of precious luggage can be prevented.
Conclusion
- SR1 provides high protection against weather conditions since it is made up of waterproof materials and its surface can effectively bear the load of snow.
- SRI is made up of marine-grade vinyl and SRX is also constructed with highly durable vinyl. Here, SRX is comparatively highly durable with a Warranty of 10 years.
- SRX is easy to use as you don’t need to trigger latch from each side, just latch from the driver’s side while SR1 can be opened within no time due to its self-adjusting tension system.
- SR1 is highly secured against theft as it has a dual trigger latch that makes it difficult to open using ordinary means while SRX’s single latch can be opened with a single jerk.
- You can purchase SR1 in the range of $304.00-$350.00 and SRX with around $328.00.
- One advanced feature of SR1 that puts it ahead of its competitor is its self-adjusting tension spring system which makes it highly recommended. You don’t need to put any manual effort to adjust tension. Tension is regulated automatically.
