When scanning the original brochures for the GMC Sierra “Gentleman Jim” edition pickup, it becomes clear the idea of building work trucks that could also take you for a night on the town is nothing new. This particular truck has survived incredibly well, with lots of the original details still preserved and an honest appearance that’s hard to fake. The camper attachment is incredibly clean, making this a truck you’re not afraid to use or sleep in. Find it here on craigslist for $15K, or go here if the ad disappears. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Levi Andrus for the find.
Originally, this Gentleman Jim would have come with saddle-colored bucket seats that have been swapped out for a bench in this example. The seller notes there are some minor deviations from a stock condition, but nothing that can’t be easily put back to stock. The other big change is the one that bothers me more, which is the loss of those sweet Rally wheels with some nice dish to them – but they can be easily sourced. The original floormats are a nice touch, along with the CB radio. The door storage pockets and woodgrain trim were other Gentleman Jim-spec features that remain in good shape here.
Seeing this rear sleeping area immediately made me want to buy a pickup and install a camper attachment in the bed. This looks ideal for road trips and camping out in a National Park. It’s clear the current or previous owner loved using this Gentleman Jim for overnights, and we hope it continues to take its next owner on any number of adventures. The cleanliness on display throughout the truck should be comforting for potential buyers, but if you have a more utilitarian lifestyle, the beds fold up for easy stowage of bicycles and other travel gear.
The body isn’t completely original, and the seller notes some areas of repair. The paint scheme is correct for a Gentleman Jim edition, along with the emblems down the sides of the bed. While the original sales literature may have made this Sierra out to be the truck of choice if going on a date or to a soirée, its current configuration makes so much more sense to me. Would you bring it back to 100% original condition or continue using it as a camping rig?
Nice looking truck.
In my first job at a gas station in 80, my boss Jim had one of these minus the camper. Nice truck and I always thought it was personalized for him. Oh the good old days.
I think the pillows and sign in back are problematic. The milk can between the beds? If it’s a ‘potty’, bravo. Plenty of volume for drink-camping. Or is it camp-drinking?
If you’re British it’s drink camping, if you’re American it’s drunk camping.
A small Guinness would suffice! I think you’re right grant.
It is in between times of the drinking and becoming slightly drunken with good friends, that brings back memories and makes new ones
if you look close the milk can serves as table base between the beds! I remember seeing a storage compound in oshawa ontario full of gentleman jim gmcs and beau bridges chev trucks! thats where they were built! 454 autos! we had a customer at the garage who worked at the truck plant on the assembly line he wanted one! gm wouldn’t let him buy it ! no canadian sales! for export to us only !
I don’t believe these trucks automatically got rally wheels in 1975. I think it may have been optional even on the “Gentleman Jim”. In any case, those are one of the easier wheels to source. The next owner might get lucky like I did once with a 1982 c10. I bought it with hubcaps and found a set of 15×8 rally wheels. I took it to a tire shop to have the existing tires swapped off what I thought were plain steel wheels and onto the rallys. The tire tech pulled the caps off, then came and got me to take a look. The truck already had rally wheels, but someone had removed the center caps and trim rings and installed hubcaps. I never thought to check and just assume that they were plain wheels. I had installed the center caps and trim rings off the rally wheels I bought, had the old tires dismounted and discarded, cleaned and painted them, then sold them for what I paid for them (free caps and ring at the cost of a little elbow grease!).
Gold painted rally wheels, with LR60x15 BFG Radial TA’s mounted on them, were part of the Gentleman Jim package.
The Gentleman Jim was a complete package. Besides the rallys and TA radials, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, full gauges, AM/FM 8-track radio and the two-tone black and gold paint, all came standard with the Gentleman Jim edition. Most options were dealer installed items, like chrome bed rails, fog lamps and the pretty rare floor mats, that the GMC still has.
Besides the Gentleman Jim, GMC also offered the blue and silver Beau James edition in 75. Where the Gentleman Jim was a little sportier in appearance, the Beau James was a little more “formal” looking, with white walls, wire wheel covers and a stand up hood ornament.
That is a very nice set up and model. Never knew about that one. Thanks barn finds!
My old Lab and I would realy like this rig , camper and all.
Only additions would be fishing rod holders Shotgun, Rifle. Pistol. And ammo storage under bed.
That and a plush dog bed on passenger side of seat.
She is getting old and deserves it.
Put a pole and a bar in the camper and Gentleman Jim could be a rolling Gentleman’s Club ! – Ducks thrown fruits and veggies
Have not seen a Gentleman Jim in 40 yrs. Still looks like I remember them.
Love this truck wonder if he’s still got the tailgate
I think GM turned a corner with these trucks. Pickups were no longer rattly, tin cans that bounced down the road, these were as nice as most cars. You could get cushy Fords and Dodges, but mostly, it was GM that led the way. Most bosses on construction jobs had fancy GMC’s. Aside from the dismal gas mileage today, especially in a stiff wind, this would be a nice unit to travel in.
Awesome looking truck! I’ve always loved these old school GMC trucks. This one looks like one could live in it, literally, full-time, if one wanted to.
According to the spec sheet, it should have ralley wheel’s and G78 15 tire’s. Better pull those hub cap’s off and have a look!
It sure is nice to see that old truck looking good. And the 350 should provide lot”s of power.
It’s no GMC Foxy Sierra, but it’s still pretty cool….
Gentleman Jim was the truck of choice for those who didn’t really dig silver (a reference to the Beau James edition), but wanted gold instead – with black being the second color. Completed in Sierra Classic trim, it had similar floor mats as its blue/silver counterpart, the Beau James edition (only in dark brown with Gentleman Jim inscription), and generally upscale brownish interior with wood grain accents, vinyl bucket seats and vinyl door storage pouches. Gentleman Jim also came with the air conditioner, AM/FM stereo radio with 8-track tape, power steering, tilt steering wheel, power brakes, Series 95 CIBIE halogen beams, etc. Moreover, just like Beau James, Gentleman Jim too rode on C15 chassis and could have been ordered exclusively with most potent of V8’s. Not more than 2,500 have been made.
I don’t think that this is a REAL Gentleman Jim. I’m not basing this on the hub caps instead of gold rally wheels and wrong seat either. I own both a Gentleman Jim and (I’m pretty sure), a Beau James. The Gentleman was purchased new by my grandpa in 1975 so I KNOW its history, the Beau is one that I bought from a private owner a few years ago but it has all of the accessories to indicate that it’s real too. I haven’t done much research on it yet though since the restoration of Jim is my priority. I just figured I’d buy the other limited truck at a reasonable price while I had the chance. Don’t get me wrong, from the pics, this looks like a very nice truck. What I’m basing this on is information in the original owners manuals for both of my trucks. These are “heavy” 1/2 ton pickups with a 6200# G.V.W. Chevrolet also had one that they called Big 10. The manuals specifically state installing a slide in camper IS NOT recommend. I’m not saying that it couldn’t be done, especially if helper springs were installed, I’m just saying that GM didn’t approve of it no matter what.