What you’re viewing here is not some sort of home-transformed camper, but a rare offering known as the Chevrolet Blazer Chalet, which was produced in limited quantities along with its counterpart, the GMC Jimmy Casa Grande, between 1976 and 1977. These started out as assembly line manufactured trucks, but upon completion, they were then farmed out to the Chinook Mobilodge company, who chopped out the cab’s back and put the camper shell in the rear area. We’ve featured a few of these over the years here at Barn Finds, but the 1977 Chevy Blazer Chalet here on eBay certainly seems to be one of the nicer examples we’ve spotted in a while. This one’s located in Spokane, Washington, with bidding up to $11,100 so far and there’s no reserve, so the high bidder will be driving the Chalet to their next camping expedition.
The exterior remains in very nice shape all the way around, with a straight body that the seller states has no dings, no dents, and no rust, although it did receive a new paint job a few years ago in the original color combo of Cordova Brown and Santa Fe Tan. It’s rolling on a set of BF Goodrich All Terrain TA white letter tires mounted on original rally wheels that look to be in excellent condition, and even the spare tire on the front seems to be in good shape. The camper is also stated to be nicely preserved with the fiberglass not showing any major cracking outside.
Taking a look inside the camper area reveals not only a fun place to sleep or relax but it’s all very well-preserved, with the original vinyl still on the rear seats and the components we get to view such as the sink and stove also appearing to be in good shape, and even the counters and cabinets seem to have survived well. But be forewarned that the seller has not tested any of the appliances back there to make sure they are still functioning.
A 400 cubic-inch V8 powers the Blazer, and while there’s no word on whether or not it’s ever had a rebuild, with only 53,000 miles it may not have ever needed much work, as the seller says it starts right up and runs amazing, plus there’s no smoke or leaks. There’s a smooth-shifting automatic transmission and also four-wheel drive, which is stated to work great.
One thing that is showing its age can be spotted inside the cab, and that’s the dashboard, which has quite a few cracks but the instruments themselves look fine plus the seats and carpeting up front also still look pretty good, as do the door panels and headliner. These Chalets are kind of rare too, with around 1,800 made believed to be the number that’s generally agreed upon. This one’s #1683 and toward the end of production, so if there were any manufacturing kinks in the beginning hopefully they were all ironed out by the time this one was transformed. What are your thoughts on this 1977 Chevrolet Blazer Chalet?
Yep, Mike, we know what a Blazer Chalet is. Despite their rarity, this one makes 22 that have been featured on Barn Finds since the beginning of 2020.
You sound a bit cross, some people may not know what this is.
People still camp? I wonder how they can survive away from their screens for so long without self-destructing.
Boy howdy, they sure do. On Scottys A 100 camper van post, that “went missing”, but now back, I pretty much outlined camping in the USA nowadays. From a Rocky Mountain perspective, it’s huge. Camping today has come a long ways since my( and Scottys ) folks basically pioneered it. There were 3 choices, a tent, or tent camper, a slide in pickup camper, or a canned ham. That was it. Today, anything goes and almost comical some of the ideas, like a platform on a van, or car roof, to secure a tent, actually a great idea, to ultimate behemoths, where yes, they cause all kinds of hassles for all others, and never leave the unit. Due to the outrageous prices today, the least expensive Airstream, basically a teardrop, is over $50grand, lately, simple camping units, like this, or the A100, are making a big comeback, and what’s great, is average families can once again enjoy camping, without a 2nd mortgage,,once they get there, that is.
That is one beautiful rig. Amazing how well preserved it is. Someone is going to have a great time with this gem.
“Well preserved” implies ‘unrestored original.’ This one is a partial restoration dating back to sometime in late 2009 / early 2010, where the Billings Montana Craigslist seller mentioned in his Feb 2010 that had newer carpet and upholstery and new decals. I’ve been tracking this one since I first learned about it in 2007, it’s pretty much filtered through classic car dealer/flippers ever since that 2010 sale.
I’ll repeat what I’ve said in prior BarnFind comment sections for Chalets & GMC Casa Grandes — I’m the current caretaker of the VERY old blazerchalet.com website, who also has the mega-spreadsheet list of 600-ish of these which I can individually ID so far, in pursuit of the fun but otherwise impossible goal of tracking and documenting every one of these ever produced, and I’m the former owner of Chalet #1747 which was featured a couple of times at this site under one of its many subsequent sellers.
I love it!!! Dash pad, who cares, that’s one of the easiest fixes on these. The interior fabric looks like the inside of my 77 Nomad. Seems like a bargain here considering what other units have done.
I sure have seen a lot of these lately, but somehow I have not stumbled across one in someone’s backyard ever in my life?????
Lay down on one of those benches and tickle the drivers head with your toes!
I see the statement that the sublet company “CHOPPED OUT” the back of the truck’s cab? Must be a mistake! BBlazers and Jimmy’s don’t have “Cab backs”
The “cutting out the back of the original passenger cab” claim seems to have originated in the Sept 2021 Silodrome article writeup for Chalet #1221, it’s around the middle of the article here https://silodrome.com/chevrolet-blazer-chalet/ , and I’ve seen that claim repeated within a July 2022 specialty vehicle lot’s description of my former Chalet #1747 in their sales ad (the archived version of the had requires viewers to highlight through the description to read it easier: https://web.archive.org/web/20220926010018/https://www.specialtyvehiclesalesinc.com/details/used-1977-chevrolet-k5-blazer-chalet/86981481 ). They also advertised my former rig as a “Barn Find,” which it literally was not.
you’re right it looks like they married it to the pop top seam. at first glance and a faulty memory i thought they might have cut the area behind the door that “makes” the cab area. but it was the broncos that had a wide at the bottom taper there.
Seller appears to have yanked the eBay listing a day early, but alternatively listed it hours ago today, 8/12/23 in Spokane WA at Facebook Marketplace for $45,000.