Both of these tonneau covers are flexible roll up accessories. These truck fittings can be easily installed and give you the ease of operation as well. These products offer an optimized protection from water, dust, and harmful rays due to their industrial grade composition. Their characteristic tailgate locks result in full safety for the cargo stored in your truck.
SR1 gives a glossy outlook and covers the bed completely. Its tarp composition enables it to prevent water from trickling into the bed. Plus, there is a well-built frame and crossbow structure to support the flexible covering. It also includes an automatic system to adjust the tension of the cover without any manual effort. On the other side, SR2 goes a step further than the competitor with its enhanced tarp and frame composition. Resultantly, this cover performs better and is relatively more resistant to wear and tear.
In comparison, SR2 has a stronger tarp, provides enhanced safety from water leakage, shows better tear resistance, and unlocks relatively quickly while SR1 is more user-friendly with automatic tension adjustment, more secure with dual latches, and costs relatively lesser amount.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison Table
| Specifications | SR1 | SR2 |
| Material | Vinyl | Vinyl |
| Exterior | Vinyl Grain finish | Vinyl Grain finish |
| Type of tonneau cover | Roll up | Roll up |
| Security | Tailgate lock | Tailgate lock |
| Remote Powered | No | No |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
| Price | $289.00 – $329.00 | $359.00 – $399.00 |
Design
SR1 is a roll-up cover that is mounted on top of bed caps and specifies a standard profile of 1.5 inches over the bed. It is made of flexible vinyl which rolls up easily and stretches across the whole truck bed. It is relatively lightweight than its competitor. The vinyl tarp is attached over a rolling metallic frame made of Aluminum alloy and a robust crossbow is also there to support the flexible cover. An automatic tension spring system is employed to keep it properly stretched. Furthermore, lengthwise Velcro fasteners are present to maintain the tension.
SR2 also shows a vinyl grain finish and a profile of 1.5 inches but it is mounted inside the bed rails so becomes relatively low-profiled than the competitor. Its tarp is constructed from a vinyl polymer of high tensile strength. Plus, it becomes more cut-resistant due to the double vinyl coating. Its flexible tarp is stretched over a high-strain aluminum frame. Circular rods of the frame result in an aerodynamic design of the cover. Its crossbow support and sideway straps are the same as its competitor. However, its tension adjustment system can be manually tuned to match the tension requirement according to the weather conditions.
| SR1 | SR2 | |
| Finishing | Vinyl Grain | Vinyl Grain |
| Retraction | Manual | Manual |
| Tarp | Flexible | Flexible |
| Crossbows | Yes | Yes |
Composition and Protection
The basic material composition is same for both these Gator products including a Vinyl tarp, metallic frame, and Velcro straps. However, SR2 is more resilient in comparison due to dual vinyl coatings and a relatively sturdy metallic frame. That is why it can endure weather damages more efficiently than its competitor. Its tarp material is flexible but tear-resistant. Likewise, it specifies an aerodynamic design due to which wind passes by it very smoothly. Hence, it gets lesser damage from heavy winds and stormy weather.
The vinyl tarp of SR1 also shows tear-resistivity due to its marine-grade composition but its strength is relatively lesser than the competitor. Likewise, its aluminum alloy ranks comparatively below for strength profile. It is also more vulnerable to damage and tearing at the corners (due to the scratching effect of the metallic frame) as it lacks aerodynamic features.
| Features | SR1 | SR2 |
| Core | Marine grade vinyl | Double coated vinyl |
| Frame | Aluminum alloy | Aluminum alloy |
| Seals | Velcro straps | Velcro straps |
Performance
SR1 performs a good job at keeping your truck bed and stored cargo safe from dust, rainwater, and scorching sunlight. Its marine-grade vinyl sheet is virtually waterproof and rainwater smoothly swipes down from the cover instead of dripping into the truck bed. A slightly raised profile and slanted corners help in quick water removal. You also have the option to drive with full bed access to your truck because you can roll the cover completely and secure it in place with the cab’s wall using in-built hook and loop straps. Due to the tension spring system, this covers provides ease of usage as you don’t need to fix the tension yourself, the spring system automatically adjusts the tension as per environmental conditions.
However, SR2 takes the lead due to its enhanced construction. As its tarp has a double coating of heavy-duty vinyl, its ability to safeguard the bed from water becomes two folds and curved edges let water flow down easily. Besides that, its tarp has UV resistive properties, giving it an edge over the competitor. Similarly, a tough aluminum frame does a better job at positioning the cover over bed rails. Especially when heavy winds blow in rainy weather, its aerodynamic design provides better weather resistance. Full bed access is possible by rolling up the cover and securing it with straps similar to its competitor. However, this cover gives you the flexibility to adjust the tension according to your needs.
However, none of these tonneau covers is suitable for loading luggage on the top because their weight-bearing capacity allows them to endure some snow weight at maximum.
| SR1 | SR2 | |
| Operating Style | Manual folding | Manual folding |
| Remote controlling | No | No |
| Tension control | Automatic spring-controlled system | Manual adjustment screw |
Security
Both of these truck bed covers are sealed by tailgate locks, so, no one can access the truck bed without opening the tailgate. Likewise, both are sealed lengthwise through Velcro straps which restrict water leakage into the truck and also keep the soft cover properly extended without any creases. However, latch systems differ for both products. SR1 possess a more secure locking system with two manual latches (one on each corner). These latches keep the cover fixed in place and you need to open both of these to roll it up.
On the other side, SR2 employs an automatic trigger latch located on the driver’s side. Once you open this latch, tonneau cover is unlocked and you can roll it backwards to access cargo in the truck. This feature makes its relatively user-friendly as you can unlock the cover standing on one corner of the truck.
| Performance | SR1 | SR2 |
| Latch system | Dual latch system | Trigger latch system |
| Latch points | 1 | 1 |
| Partial access | No | No |
Warranty and Durability
Both these truck fittings are fairly durable as they are made from commercial grade resilient vinyl. The aluminium framing and industrial grade straps further add to the longevity of Gator roll ups. This is the reason that company backs both these tonneau covers with a 5 years warranty.
However, we can say that SR2 will last longer in comparison as its composition is comparatively tougher. Double coated vinyl offers tear resistance and also has the ability to withstand UV rays. Likewise, its frame is more durable than its contestant.
Tough SR1 also specifies marine grade composition yet the single coating renders it less protection from chips and cuts. Moreover, its frame is not as robust as the competitor due to which it stands below in terms of longevity.
Quick Summary
- Both are soft and flexible roll up tonneau covers.
- Commercial grade vinyl tarps offer optimized truck bed coverage.
- Installation process is similar and easy for both truck fittings and involves no drilling.
- Warranty duration is the same for both these products.
Gator SR1
- Specifies an automatic tension spring system that adjusts the tarp tension automatically.
- Dual latch system makes it more secure.
- Is priced relatively lower than the competitor.
Gator SR2
- Possess double vinyl construction and is more resistant to tears and scratches.
- Offers enhanced safety from water.
- Is relatively more durable than its competitor.