The Chalet was a limited production version of the Chevy K5 Brazer SUV (before they were called that). It was a routine off-roader with a custom Chinook camper grafted onto the back. Only available for two years, perhaps only 1,800 were delivered to Chevrolet and GMC customers. This one from 1976 is said to run well, but it has a fair amount of rust and some TLC to be attended to. Located with a dealer in White, South Dakota, this Blazer Chalet is available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $10,000.
The full-size Chevy Blazer (and a few of the GMC Jimmy) units left the production line and headed to Chinook Mobilodge in Washington State for the Chalet conversion. The camper unit is similar to one that you could buy with a Tacoma pickup in the same time frame. The SUV portion had seating for two while four could be squeezed into the camper (when not in motion, of course). The seats in the back would fold down to turn into bedding. While you got a kitchen setup with these units, there were no bathing or toilet facilities. So, the Chalet was best suited for weekend outings, not long trips.
At 102,000 miles, the seller’s Chalet has no doubt seen plenty of camping trips. The 350 cubic inch V8 has been tuned up but more may be needed as the test drive was only for a short distance. We assume the automatic transmission, air conditioning, and other features are all up to snuff. The passenger compartment up front will need some attention, such as the upholstery and dash pad. We’re told the camper could use good cleaning and maybe some upholstery work, too.
These 1970s GM and Chevy “trucks” were not averse to rust, and this vehicle has collected its share in the fenders and quarter panels. If patches aren’t enough, we assume the sheet metal is still available for purchase. The camper is complete, which is a good thing as that’s the reason you’d want this vehicle. If you’ve been on the hunt for one of these SUVs, the available supply regardless of condition can’t be plentiful.
At the “Bring a Trailer” auction for Chalet #0828 a few months back, one of the commenters there said – and I quote verbatim, “Chinook performed the Chalet conversion. They leased space in the old Standard Cotton plant, which was which located at 2701 Camden Street in Flint.”
Only 1,800 made for Chevrolet and GMC. I think we’ve seen all 1,800 here on BF. ..Maybe I’m wrong but I’ve seen an awful lot on here. …. 😊
You are correct sir
I was going to say the same thing
BF features a search box at the upper right of these pages, you can enter the word “chalet” or “casa grande” in it to more precisely nail down the number of times these have been posted. In the count I just did, the tally seems to be a bit over 30, where in at least 4 instances there were re-posts of the same rig by writers here unaware that they’d already been covered before. So one question is, by what order of magnitude would you be incorrect about “seeing all 1,800”, and the second more obvious question would be, what point are you trying to make? If you find the posts offensive, I’d simply suggest that instead of allowing such frustration to live rent-free in your mind, skip ’em, and move on to other posts that you’d find more to your liking.
I would want to put this in the air before deciding. There is a lot of metal work needed and that engine and engine bay look as tired as hell.
10 grand is probably 5 grand too much.
I agree Ward, I don’t know, I might go to 6, but I believe 10 is a pretty high aspiration, considering the overall shabby condition of this rig.. yeah, it’s rare, and yes it’s a pretty cool rig, but at some point you’re going to want to use it, presumably on a camping trip to somewhere more than 20 miles away from your house, and based on what I can see in the pics, I might be a little nervous about that trip.. neat setup nonetheless!