Blazer Chalet

[haven]

Chinook RV had a contract with GM in the mid-1970's to produce a fiberglass camper for the short wheelbase 4x4 Blazer. The package was sold as the Chevy Blazer Chalet 4x4 and GMC Casa Grande. About 1800 units were sold in 1976 and 1977.

There's a web site for Blazer Chalet owners and enthusiasts. It's called (you guessed it) www.blazerchalet.com The following photos are from this web site.

Here's what the stock Blazer Chalet looks like

http://www.blazerchalet.com/judyhesson.jpg

http://www.blazerchalet.com/venezuelan77b.jpg

The shell is not meant to be easily removed, but it can be unbolted for maintenance to the truck or the camper shell.

http://www.blazerchalet.com/1383park1.jpg

http://www.blazerchalet.com/refurb76a.jpg

You can get all sorts of parts for 1970's K5 Blazer, so it should be possible to fix any sort of damage, and to upgrade to become more offroad-capable.

The stock Blazer Chalet 4x4 can travel through easy 4x4 terrain

http://www.blazerchalet.com/bb03/onion-creek-14.jpg

There is plenty of off-road equipment for the K5 Blazer. You can build up as far as your imagination (and wallet) will take you.

http://www.blazerchalet.com/bb03/stormtrooper.jpg

Skyjacker and Baja Claw work well together:

http://ten.ewzone.com/articleImages/19576.jpg

Ok, maybe something not quite so flashy would be better for those drives through the Sierra Madre.

Chip Haven

[haven]

I found a Blazer Chalet 4x4 for sale at www.rvtraderonline.com

http://images.traderonline.com/img/3/plcnad/4951596/84532282_1.jpg

1976 Chevrolet Blazer Chalet 4x4
10,000 miles
$3,500
Shoreline, WA (206) 533-8505

Looks a little rusty, but I guess that's to be expected in a 30 year old truck that's too tall to fit in a standard garage. I bet a zero is missing in the mileage quoted.

Chip Haven

[Grim Reaper]

That site is run by one of the guys from www.coloradok5.com that goes by dremu. I use to be a moderator at the site. The current blazer of the month (the tan 75 for August) is my old truck that I built and sold to Dontoe.

A lot of the pictures are from Doug Wright. The brown rig that is flexed up is Doug's. He also owns one of the nicest 76 Chalets left.
dremu also has a great site of brochures on GM trucks at http://brochures.slosh.com/

Doug and I have talked a bit about his Chalet and a few things he pointed out is this was a factory offering. The K5 the chalet goes on is not a regular K5. It has beefed up suspension and a few other upgrades.

The down side to this set up is with the short 106 inch wheelbase it makes the K5 and little top heavy. Its a lot of extra weight and it was not designed to be removed easily. Once that shell is unbolted from the K5 its VERY easy to damage.

I was really interested in converting our 79 K5 to a Chalet but sold the truck in favor of something with 4 doors.

I always thought it would be interesting to modify a Suburban and mount a Chalet body too it. The Sub as a little more tail to it then a K5 so grafting the rear of a K5 would let the frame stick out under the tail of the camper body. That would allow for the set up to sill have full towing potential (minus the weight) and have a regular Suburban back seat area. The big problem is Subs of that rear range have a higher roof line then a K5 so it would require a LOT of work to do the conversion and get the Chalet to fit correctly. (But the right bomb diesel Sub show up on my door step while I have cash in pocket it might still happen one day.)

[Doin_It]

So I'm sitting at a set of traffic lights, here in Calgary, today, and a Blazer Chalet turns the corner in front of me. What the heck I say to myself. I'd never heard of the Chalets till Chip Haven posted the other day about them, and now I'm seeing one. So of course I chase the truck down to talk to who ever is driving it. Here the truck has Colorado plates, and the fellow driving the truck is on of the "founders" of the blazer chalet web site. Now I was impressed and blown away, I was also impressed with what he's done to, and planning on doing with his current ride. So I'd say overall I had a very informative day. (My client I was on the way to see was a little miffed, I was alsmost an hour late, but she'll get over it)

[Grim Reaper]

So I'm sitting at a set of traffic lights, here in Calgary, today, and a Blazer Chalet turns the corner in front of me. What the heck I say to myself. I'd never heard of the Chalets till Chip Haven posted the other day about them, and now I'm seeing one. So of course I chase the truck down to talk to who ever is driving it. Here the truck has Colorado plates, and the fellow driving the truck is on of the "founders" of the blazer chalet web site. Now I was impressed and blown away, I was also impressed with what he's done to, and planning on doing with his current ride. So I'd say overall I had a very informative day. (My client I was on the way to see was a little miffed, I was alsmost an hour late, but she'll get over it)

That Had to Be Doug. He's a hoot isn't he? Super nice guy.

[Doin_It]

That Had to Be Doug.

Yea, you got her, Doug W. So when I got home I emailed him some some links, which of course this was on of. He's here in Calgary for another 3/4 weeks so I told him "The one who must be obyed" ain't much of a cook, but she is a Yankee so come on over for a visit and a beer, cause what ever she feeds us is still better then hotel food, so we'll see if we can get some stories out of him about travelling in the southern parts.

[Grim Reaper]

Yea, you got her, Doug W. So when I got home I emailed him some some links, which of course this was on of. He's here in Calgary for another 3/4 weeks so I told him "The one who must be obyed" ain't much of a cook, but she is a Yankee so come on over for a visit and a beer, cause what ever she feeds us is still better then hotel food, so we'll see if we can get some stories out of him about travelling in the southern parts.
Was he up there for work?

Last I heard He was working for Frieghtliner I think it was.

Have not talked to him in a while. I have his e-mail somewhere. Have to drop him a line.

[Colorado Ron]

I actually had one and should have kept it. Mine was a 77 I believe. The guy wanted just the blazer so I pulled the shell off. I bought an X military blazer with the 6.2 diesel. Installed the shell and was about ready to put dana 60s under it when someone went and offered me more than I could refuse!

[1976K5Chalet]

Ran into Doin It yesterday....it was really nice to chat chalet with someone. Being here in calgary for a month or two i have realized just how rare these k5's are up herein canada as i am constantly getting pulled over my curious on lookers...lol. Doesn't happen in the states as much as there were a lot more of them on the road when they were new i suppose.

Grimy...you dirty dog...where have you been hiding for pete's sake? You went and sold dollar....bought a yota and fell off the face of the earth...some friend you are...lol.

Anyways grimy my dear old friend....we moved to colorado...had 2 kids...camryn will be 4 on the 23rd of sept....and just is almost 2....and was born on the 23rd of march so he's around 18-9 months....after he was born a week to be exact i was on a plane to ogden utah to deploy forward with the 872nd Maint Co. DS to iraq. And fate saw things diff and i was refraded from fort bliss due to mt sleep apnea so i missed the trip to mosul. Returned to work at ftl....and about a month later i recieved a call from a friends boss wanting to interview me in casper wy for a oil field em mwd job. Called in sick...drove to casper and was hired on the spot. Haven't looked back since.....and thats why i am in casper training on LWD (gamma).
We bought 5 acres in fruita colorado..bought 20 miles from the old house in junction....which knocks a few miles off that 105 to moab..and are currently building a new house and a 30x40 shop for me and my fleet of 6 K5's...

Email addy is k5nutt@hotmail.com....drop me aline mr. Its been way to long! And how is your ticker doin bud?

DW

[Grim Reaper]

Good to see ya buddy!
We talked since you moved to CO. I think you just had the first or were due at any time. That was when you sent the two Yorks out here for Glenn and I.

I got real burnt out on the Moderator thing at CK5. Then with Kiddo 2 taking up so much time I just started showing up less and less. Got sick of looking At the K5 sitting and with gas prices the way they were we did some vehicle swapping out so we could park the 454 Burb and get a couple more economical rides for DD use. Need the Burb to move the camper and the thought was to build a Pirate style 4Runner that I could DD and be able to tow it with the burb. Still in the planning stage but its looking like a milder build now then I had first planned.

Ticker is ticking.. Still with the phone company just no longer in the stores. Managed to get a job at the Network warehouse three miles from the Palatial Reaper estate ( one tank of fuel lasts a month LOL). Keeps me moving all the time tossing tower gear and that has helped my general health tremendously. Probably best shape I have been in a long time. Now I have some serious wanderlust going and planing on coming out your way in the next year or so.

Building a more mild rig better suited for exploration and long out back style trips that won't require a 30 year loan to finance the fuel. I will probably build a tube buggy for bouncing off rocks at Tellico later.

I think you will enjoy this site. The Chalet will fit into the general ideas of most of the members and the rigs they are building. 4x4 camping machines is the theme.

I'll drop you a line.

[datrupr]

Doug, welcome to ExPo! Glad to know that you have met a couple of pour members already. Please post up a few pics of your Chalet in the readers rides section in general discussion.

[1976K5Chalet]

I'll get some time tonight at the hotel and post some pics.

Haven't had time to even explore the site but thanx to a certain member i have found it and it right up my alley so to speak as when we restore the chalet i wanted to go all modern and be able to set it up to allow me weeks of time way removed from civilization and i'm quite sure i'll find plenty of help around here....

I'll answer your email tonight grimy....our new house and garage will in theory at least be done by the end of the year if all goes well...so if you want to do moab....ride the train in durango with your family...me casa su casa as they say....

DW

[77blazerchalet]

Ok Doug W., ya talked me into it....

Doug mentioned this site & forum to me over on our / his "Blazer Chalet & GMC Casa Grande owners" Yahoo Autos Groups forum, nice place you have here.

Alas, barely enough time to keep up with my three other forums, so I may not be seen here too frequently (unless somebody will donate to my "help me quit my job fund", thus enabling me to have 8 additional hours of free time each weekday while not running out of money)

Only just surfed though the site & a few of the forums a short time ago, hope to do more later. Photo below of my 1977 Blazer Chalet, currently undergoing mechanical refurbishment & upgrades which will allow me to go camping the way I've always meant to in the Colorado Rockies - been doing that since probably 1966, the last 20 years with a hatchback fwd car & tent.

[cipioxx]

Thse Blazer Chalets are nice. I have only see one in my life and it was wrecked. The vehicle was still in decent shape, but the camper section looked crushed. This was years ago, but I may go check some local junkyards and post my findings....

[77blazerchalet]

Paste this number into a search window at eBay: 320005161394

It's for a slightly old listing, but the photo links still work... Yardley PA isnt exactly down the street from you, I suppose.... the lister said he planed to part it out, he might still have it it you want the shell to transplant onto a better Blazer or Jimmy, his is just a tad rusty.

[cipioxx]

Thanks. I tried to contact him through ebay and they wouldn't let me due to the fact that I didn't have any open transactions with him. That is a nice vehicle....

[CLynn85]

I saw one yesterday, and it totally caught me off guard. We had Columbus day off so I decided to take a break from doing work and go for a ride, while looking for a trail I had seen on my atlas I (after making the wrong turn) ended up on a road that I personally would not want to live on, but there was a trailer and parked outside were an assortment of old cars, one of which was a tan colored blazer chalet. Doesn't look like it's moved for the past 5-10 yrs or so.

[77blazerchalet]

Cipioxx,

On the assumption you are an eBay member, did you try the "contact member" feature from this page? http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=brookridgefarm I'll try it myself to see if I get a response, he didn't respond to my last inquiry about the curtains. I think he wants to sell the thing all at one time. It looks somewhat ok, but that rust problem may mean the Blazer part of it is terminal.

Carl,

It may be entertaining if you could inquire about the one you saw, maybe they'd sell it for mere pennies just to get rid of it. On the other hand, these things are really rare (1555 '76 & '77 Chalets, 225 '76 & '77 GMC Casa Grandes), but there is no real value to that. They appear on eBay about once a month on average, I've seen junkers sell for as little as $102, decent ones go for between $2000 to $4000, but one I saw personally in Johnstown PA late last summer sold in October on eBay for $10,000. Don't know what to say about that one, it was in worse shape than mine, I only paid $3900.
Patience is the key for getting a good deal on one, and making sure it is in salvageable shape.

[cipioxx]

Thanks Buddy. I am an ebay member and after I logged in, I tried "contact seller" and got the message I listed above. I'm going to check out some junkyards Saturday morning. I'll start new thread and post my findings if ther is anything decent out there.

[77blazerchalet]

Cipioxx,

PM sent to you with the email address for the guy in Yardley PA - he says he sold the Blazer part but still has the camper. You could put it on your '87 Blazer with some effort. In our Yahoo Autos group forum (free signup, http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ChevyK5BlazerChalets/ ) one our members plans to put the Chalet camper he just bought on a newer diesel Blazer, the eBay-sourced photos of his camper are in the last post in this link: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=35058#post35058

And for anyone else interested, I don't know how old this link is, but it shows a really nice possibly original Chalet that supposedly sold for big bucks: http://www.goantiques.com/scripts/images,id,691813.html#

[\\'anderer]

Here is another one for sale, I found on recycler.com. this one is in so. ca.

http://www.recycler.com/recreation/detail.classified?id=RCY-194-44834220&search_zip=92262

[77blazerchalet]

Wanderer,

Yes indeed, that one is still available, I forget what the price was a few months ago, maybe over $2,000. A while back, another of my fellow Chalet owners forwarded two color photos of it (below), the back view confirmed my Chalet's stripes had been altered. Doug W. & Aaron S.'s Blazer Chalet web site has an automated buy & sell page ( http://www.blazerchalet.com/cgi-bin/buysell.pl ), although it doesn't always indicate ones that are sold. I believe the "Thomas Sisneros" one is also still available - see: http://www.chieftain.com/classifieds/index.php?d=6&a=2&m=1&s=4&ls=10&lmt=10 the 11th item on page 2 of that link, the owners were kind enough to email more photos of it to me just last Sunday......

I try to keep a good eye out for these, and help the sellers with web links that would let their potential customers know that there is a small 'support group' of us that can help out with questions, restorations, parts swapping, vintage owner's manuals, all that good stuff. I've still got various questions of my own, I'm no expert on Chalets yet.

[CLynn85]

One that just popped up on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Blazer-1976-Chevy-Chalet-Camper-Blazer-4x4-Four-Wheel-Drive_W0QQitemZ180070315812QQihZ008QQcategoryZ6154 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[77blazerchalet]

Thanks for keeping your eyes peeled for wherever these are. The more people we have looking around for 'em, the better off we are. Were you able to get near the one you spotted back in Oct for a photo?

Meanwhile, I didn't get a chance to mention one that popped up briefly in cars.com, one of the members of our Chalet owners forum (see post #20 in this thread for the link) fortunately lives nearby and was able to get the photo below - the web ad isn't there anymore so I've reproduced it here, some expire quicker than others: $1,000, CHEVY Blazer K5 Chalet 1977, New tires, Only 5k mi on New 350 engine, $1000. 916-334-6274 Listing Source: Sacramento Bee, 12-22-06

It would be a heckuva chore to put the roof back on......

[CLynn85]

Nah I haven't made it back up there yet, but I'll try in the spring.

You should start a registry for these things.

[77blazerchalet]

Carl,

Much appreciated, if you do get up that way, ya never know what you might discover by checking it out in depth. Keep your eye out for the GMC Jimmy Casa Grande version, too, only supposedly 225 of those made between '76 and '77. Through a recent internet search, I dredged up a 'vehicle list' at a sportscar forum site where the guy claimed to own one. Sure enough, he still does. Pic below, seems to have a Jimmy color scheme we-all weren't aware of before.

3-15-2008 Edit: the owner confirms it was repainted from the original beige/burnt orange standard color scheme for '76s....

[77blazerchalet]

Nah I haven't made it back up there yet, but I'll try in the spring.

You should start a registry for these things.
Done! ....., but not quite, I'll add more as we-all find more. Quit my last job, starting a new business in a couple of months, but in the meantime I had time to put together the "mother of all spreadsheets" for every Blazer Chalet & Casa Grande I could dredge up, with photos to ID 'em or distinct descriptions so they can't be confused with others. My list is up 125 so far. Sure would like find the current whereabouts of old descriptions such as....

.....this one: At this brochure & magazine scan site http://brochures.slosh.com/index.shtml?chalet scroll down the left column and click on the Treasure Search link. Anybody seen the Chalet in that article or know the owner Ken Doe? The most noticeable features are the Cepek tires, driving lights under the bumper, evap cooler on the roof, black fender flares, and Egyptian icon decorations in the interior. After an extensive google search, I can turn up nothing on the publisher of Treasure Search, Ken Doe or find out anything more about the magazine other than a couple of back issues for sale on eBay. It isn't published anymore (?) According to the article, Ken's primary treasure hunting area was southern California.

That magazine article is currently our primary source for the "1,780" total production figure for Chalets & Casa Grandes, which leads me to wonder how Ken Doe knew that. I have leads for two other former Chinook Mobilodge top management guys, we will get to the bottom of the absolute total production figure eventually....

[franks71vw]

Just wondering but Looking into building a K5 blazer with a cummins 4 cylinder diesel in it. I was going to go with a small pickup and a camper top but though the K5 would be much more stable and I could use it as a pickup (small but non the less) and put a camper like the chalet. Question here is who makes camper tops for the K5 blazer now n days? With a trailer behind me I think I can carry a good amount of equipment with me..:safari-rig:

[Mobryan]

I think your best bet would be finding something used, or using a FWC Hawk for a base. It would be narrower then you need, but that would help with COG issues. You could probably build some drawers to fill the gap between the side of the camper and the side of the Blazer for the back, and fuel/water tanks to fit between the camper and blazer box up front.

No pass through that way, though :(


Matt