It's pretty simple, they got screwed right to the floor. Some of them like mine had plywood added to the floor and covered in carpet or other floor covering. Mine was screwed to the plywood.
CK5
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Blazer Campers- The not a Chalet thread. FWC, Hallmark, Phoenix units.
- Thread starter ZooMad75
- Start date
It's pretty simple, they got screwed right to the floor. Some of them like mine had plywood added to the floor and covered in carpet or other floor covering. Mine was screwed to the plywood.
One showed up on craigslist down in Houston. Kinda pricey, but looks like it's all there.
1983 K5 Blazer motorhome edition - cars & trucks - by owner -...
This is a all original 40,000 miles K5 Blazer with a motorhome package four-wheel-drive V8 automatic transmission all original in N out original paint truck is in great condition for a 1983 that’s...
houston.craigslist.org
Nice to know it doesn't require cutting a hole in the floor. I just wasnt sure if the base cap went down below the floor level.
One showed up on craigslist down in Houston. Kinda pricey, but looks like it's all there.
1983 K5 Blazer motorhome edition - cars & trucks - by owner -...
This is a all original 40,000 miles K5 Blazer with a motorhome package four-wheel-drive V8 automatic transmission all original in N out original paint truck is in great condition for a 1983 that’s...houston.craigslist.org
I contacted FWC a while back to see if they would be able to build a new one for the Blazer and they said no. I'm thinking I might take it upon myself some day to attempt it. I gotta get the LS swap and other stuff finished before that comes to fruition though. I have a spare shell I was going to use for a summer top but to be honest it's so hot I would probably just be rolling with the AC on even if I was offroad, lol. I figure couple the camper with some a small genni to run a window unit like on one of the above pictured setups. Would be fun to make a new one, and then at that point if someone else wants one its just helps them get along that trail as well.
Thanks for catching that ad. This is the third time this truck has come up for sale. The first time on Craigslist out of Wyoming for a price under 10k. It was a barn find rats nest.
It then showed up at a Mecum auction in Vegas for twice the price. Seriously cleaned up too. You can see in prep of the auction the cushions were recovered.
This time around they ditched the full wheel covers for Rally wheels and removed the spare, old fog lights, and the bug deflector. Is it worth 22k now? Maybe to the right person.
No surprise FWC said they wouldn't build anymore. Phoenix Campers out of Denver has built Bronco Campers recently. They have built Blazer units in the past. They are one of the only builders of custom campers. They built Larry's camper directly to his specs for his K10.
I may have to check into Phoenix then. I lack the time to focus on some projects. Work and travel makes a big dent in productive time and until that changes you know how that can be.Thanks for catching that ad. This is the third time this truck has come up for sale. The first time on Craigslist out of Wyoming for a price under 10k. It was a barn find rats nest.
It then showed up at a Mecum auction in Vegas for twice the price. Seriously cleaned up too. You can see in prep of the auction the cushions were recovered.
This time around they ditched the full wheel covers for Rally wheels and removed the spare, old fog lights, and the bug deflector. Is it worth 22k now? Maybe to the right person.
No surprise FWC said they wouldn't build anymore. Phoenix Campers out of Denver has built Bronco Campers recently. They have built Blazer units in the past. They are one of the only builders of custom campers. They built Larry's camper directly to his specs for his K10.
Thanks for the tip.
Rush4x4
Registered Member
Awesome thread! Still have my K5/FWC but haven't got around to sticking in the big block. The 350 in it runs too good. I don't want to mess with it. Unless I missed it, I didn't see anything about the Ramcharger and Trailduster campers made by FWC.
Interesting you should point them out. They are really rare. You don't see them at all. Even to the point that FWC literature is pretty slim on them from back in the day.
I think you found two of the few examples to be seen on the web actually. I'm not sure how well they were marketed to the Ramcharger/Trailduster trucks as the blue example has the Blazer name on the camper. The Ramcharger is really close in size to a second-gen K5 anyway so it would make sense they wouldn't take much to fit the Mopar product. Keep this in mind, later Ramchargers ('81 and up) did not have a removable roof so installing a camper would be slightly problematic unless you were surgical with a sawzall. This would also limit the amount of Ramchargers that could have been fitted with the FWC camper. Of the four early SUV's that you could get one on (K5/Bronco/Scout/Ramcharger) they are probably the rarest to find for sure.
Glad to hear the small block is running good. I know how you feel about yanking a perfectly running engine. Had I not got pushed I was struggling to find a reason to yank the 5.3 out of mine because it just ran so well. Lacked power with the camper, but it fired up every time and did the job as well as it could have. I just had to get over the mental block of revving the snot out of the little guy to get power. Turns out my stereo was pretty good at drowning out the 5.3's wail at 5,500 rpm.
As well as the small block works now, it does not surpass what that big block will do once you get it in there. I'm serious when I say that. The early Ramchargers got 440's as an option back then. Why GM never made the 454 an option in a K5 probably comes down to multiple factors that include a bucketload of CYA from the legal team and the '70's fuel crunch probably soured the idea too. Still, get over the mental hump and get the rat installed. You'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
Rush4x4
Registered Member
Speaking of Ramchargers with campers, this one's for sale in Oregon. If I'm not mistaken, I saw this one for sale when I was looking for my Blazer, and they wanted about a quarter of the price they're asking now. Granted, they've made some upgrades and cleaned it up. I think this is the same one as pictured above.
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As crazy prices go since it's one of a handful I've ever seen on the web asking 20k is not out of line. Helps that it's a factory big block Ramcharger too.Speaking of Ramchargers with campers, this one's for sale in Oregon. If I'm not mistaken, I saw this one for sale when I was looking for my Blazer, and they wanted about a quarter of the price they're asking now. Granted, they've made some upgrades and cleaned it up. I think this is the same one as pictured above.
View attachment 396196
The Ramcharger camper is on bring a trailer now.
bringatrailer.com
Showing $7500 bid right now. That's a steal considering the rareness of both the truck and camper.
1976 Dodge Ramcharger 4x4 Pop-Up Camper
Bid for the chance to own a 1976 Dodge Ramcharger 4×4 Pop-Up Camper at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #61,512.
Showing $7500 bid right now. That's a steal considering the rareness of both the truck and camper.
I could have lived in one of these as a young un!
I had an interesting contact via instagram the other day. Guy just picked up a FWC Blazer camper loose (without a K5). It was in pretty good shape other than needing to replace all the particle board parts. What was interesting is the documentation that he got with it. One of which was the price sheet. This is from 1980
The price was $3,179 with the options of the 3 way fridge, overhead storage, 2nd vent over the cab over area and boat rack on the roof.
Adjusted for inflation that would put the price close to $11,000. Which comparing to a similar camper FWC makes now in the project M camper for pickups is in the same ballpark for price. Not quite an apples to apples comparison though. The project M camper is for trucks, but the similarity is that it has no base or floor pack. Those campers sit on the bed rails of a pickup and get clamped on like a regular pickup topper. Options on the M would push it much higher than the Blazer.
I find old documents like this really give a picture of what it was back then. Buying one new back then was still a pretty serious investment.
The price was $3,179 with the options of the 3 way fridge, overhead storage, 2nd vent over the cab over area and boat rack on the roof.
Adjusted for inflation that would put the price close to $11,000. Which comparing to a similar camper FWC makes now in the project M camper for pickups is in the same ballpark for price. Not quite an apples to apples comparison though. The project M camper is for trucks, but the similarity is that it has no base or floor pack. Those campers sit on the bed rails of a pickup and get clamped on like a regular pickup topper. Options on the M would push it much higher than the Blazer.
I find old documents like this really give a picture of what it was back then. Buying one new back then was still a pretty serious investment.
I wonder what a "torque window" is?
Wish I could buy one now for $3200. Truth is, drop-in campers cost almost as much as full tow-behind units.
Yeah you and me both. I spoke with these guys at overland expo a couple weeks back.
OVRLND Custom Pop-Top Camper Shell
Lightweight, pop-top camper shells built for years of use and abuse. These truck campers are custom built with your desired options and add-ons. Build & price your custom camper today!
campovrlnd.com
Base price is $9400 for a full size truck. But that’s just a bare shell they have a ton of options that would drive the price up. But that’s still closer to the 70’s FWC price adjusted for inflation.
Basic new FWC units are twice the price of the old Blazer version.
The guys from ovrlnd told me they’d build one for a blazer but will charge accordingly. They did make one for a full size bronco and said they didn’t make any money on it.
1990 K5 4x4 Chevy Blazer w/camper - cars & trucks - by owner -...
This is a modified 1990 K5 Blazer with the hard top removed and a pop up camper on the bed. Since I purchased the blazer it has received plenty of maintenance and care. The reason for selling it is...
rockies.craigslist.org
