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FREE gutted Chalet shells, Texas & Iowa (as compared to $3500 shell in IL)

a77blazerchalet

a77blazerchalet

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One of the members of our Yahoo Chalet owners' forum just announced he's giving away his gutted Chalet shell-only, in Bastrop Texas. It's the unit seen in the 1st photo below, which apparently had a pair of air conditioners installed into it, thus there will be big holes in the back. The truck is long gone. Nobody's been able to understand the twin A/C idea, the thing must have been a rolling freezer.

As a favor for another guy I know, he is still trying to give away the gutted #1033 shell-only he has in Sheldon, Iowa, see 2nd photo where is is parked temporarily on a Dodge Dakota. PM me for the contact info for each of the guys here.

Meanwhile, compare & contrast those with this Craigslist guy in the Chicago area, who's been listing his #0290 shell-only around the country as though it is the last one on the planet. http://rockford.craigslist.org/bar/3256401670.html He's been listing it in LA and San Fransisco Craigslist ads.... Highest price I ever saw for an orphaned shell-only was a 2008 eBay listing for #1117, which sold for $610, but which (I think) was given away later when the buyer had to suddenly move.

thefridge.jpg

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You told me about one of these up in this area a while back. Wish I had gotten it now that the kids are into camping. Good deal for someone else though.
 
CUCV2 said:
..Is there a place to get restoration parts for these?
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Oh, I guess you might say our Yahoo Chalet forum (1st link in my sig) might be a place, as a couple of the guys are selling random parts off their rigs, plus good tips are bantered about on how to fix various bits of the camper units. But for orphaned shell units, you can be just as well off using brand new replacement items or maybe 'new' used items from RV junkyards. The cabinetry originally from Chinook is rather lousy plywood, so lighter weight and better quality / better constructed stuff would be a big improvement. That's why the gutted shells aren't such a bad idea if you are headed to a setup that best suits your camping purposes, rather than aiming for museum-quality restoration.

Apart from that, I know of three Chalets in junkyards, NY, UT and CA. Perhaps some bits out of old Toyota Chinooks might work, but major things like the back door, roof or windows are not interchangeable.
 
a77blazerchalet said:
Oh, I guess you might say our Yahoo Chalet forum (1st link in my sig) might be a place, as a couple of the guys are selling random parts off their rigs, plus good tips are bantered about on how to fix various bits of the camper units. But for orphaned shell units, you can be just as well off using brand new replacement items or maybe 'new' used items from RV junkyards. The cabinetry originally from Chinook is rather lousy plywood, so lighter weight and better quality / better constructed stuff would be a big improvement. That's why the gutted shells aren't such a bad idea if you are headed to a setup that best suits your camping purposes, rather than aiming for museum-quality restoration.

Apart from that, I know of three Chalets in junkyards, NY, UT and CA. Perhaps some bits out of old Toyota Chinooks might work, but major things like the back door, roof or windows are not interchangeable.
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Thanks for the info. I like the idea of making a new and improved version of a Chalet. Some of the more Chalet specific items are a concern though. Like windows, the skirting around the pop-up, and so on. I have a 91 K5, 3/4 ton axles, and a 4" lift. Thinking a Chalet top might go good with it. Wishing I knew more about Chalets. I will check out the link in your sig.
 
Not much to the windows, really. Window fabricators could cut new glass from good measurements of the frames, it would just represent more of a chore to replace 'em if you can't find old intact ones. I forget how the frames fit together. As for the vinyl pop up material, a tent & awning place like this one can make replacement material, pretty much a necssity in any one of these. The chore is to take out the old stuff and come up with a better way of re-installing it. That was the problem staring me straight in the face before I sold mine...

Apologies for the limited views for non-members of the Yahoo forum, but it is free to join, membership opens up everything.
 
Signed up to join but it looks like it could take up to 24 hours.

Can you still put a backseat in the Chalet unit for the kids to ride or does this become a front seats only K5?

And how does this shell mount to the K5?
 
I'm the #2 moderator there after Doug W, a.k.a. "azblazer" here at CK5. If I see your request, I can take care of it fairly quick.

The dinette seats that face each other serve as 'extra people' seats, but they have seatbelts (lap belts) for just one person on each side. A really clever person could come up with a better and safer seating arrangement, perhaps.

Somewhere in ND is that custom 'burb Chalet, unless somebody bought it (post #6 in that same thread shows what it looked like). Or another alternative involving a fair amount of fabricating is seen in my photoshop of a 'burb / Blazer top conversion.
 
How long is the shell not including the part that extends over the cab? Possibly interested in one for a redneck toy hauler if I can squeeze it and my RZR on my trailer. Bastrop is a few hours west of me.
 
Col_Sanders said:
How long is the shell not including the part that extends over the cab? Possibly interested in one for a redneck toy hauler if I can squeeze it and my RZR on my trailer. Bastrop is a few hours west of me.
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The problem you would have from what I've read, is that the chalet's fiberglass shell almost needs the blazer body that it bolts to as a support structure.
 
a77blazerchalet said:
.... http://westernmass.craigslist.org/pts/3291614922.html

Tall expectations on that price....
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Just talked to that seller, quite a nice guy, owns a bunch of square body Chevs, was on CK5 some time back. His unit is serial #1444, built 10/76. Says he has too many other projects, and really wants this one to go to an appreciative home. I didn't discuss the relative pricing on these, as it is a bit subjective about condition and supply vs. demand.
 
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