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Interesting Chalet thought

MrSchaeferPants

MrSchaeferPants

1/2 ton status
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Hot Springs, AR
So running through the vehicles for sale section, and reread that thread and looked at the ad, told the wife I need to buy that for our move to AR :waytogo:

But got to thinking, has anyone seen or made a replica. Like if you put a regular truck bed camper on a Blazer, and cut it up to mount on the back the way a chalet does.

Just a thought. I mean, why not? Perhaps it interested me cause there's been this free truck bed camper on CL for a while nearby.... :whistle:
 
I'd like to think for that kind of money you could be into a whole Chalet, depending on your location.

If it were me, and I was being creative, i'd measure a blazer bed vs a short bed a buy a camper rather than just a shell.
 
Well that's what I'm saying, there's actually 4 campers on CL here for free, just modifying, shortening, etc. And make it work for the Blazer. One ad had good interior pictures, it was all there, not sure if it all worked, but propane hook ups, sink, bed, table.

That $3500 chalet I just happened to find when I posted that.
 
If it was me, i'd leave my blazer alone, and either buy a chalet, or make a truck bed trailer to add a camper to. That way, you can tow it with the blazer, and have a blazer to drive once you get where you are going.
 
dhcomp said:
If it was me, i'd leave my blazer alone, and either buy a chalet, or make a truck bed trailer to add a camper to. That way, you can tow it with the blazer, and have a blazer to drive once you get where you are going.
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yep


I'm about 4 hrs from Hot Springs. If you however decide you need a Chalet camper bad enough I'll make you deal on mine.
 
FYI - My 91 Blazer specifically says to NOT put a camper in the bed. There is a sticker in the glove box. Maybe it's a safety or load issue?
 
There is a very nice Dark Blue K5 on here somewhere (will have to look for thread when I get home) but it has a different kind of camper on the back, like a Charlet but doesnt stick out, it fits within the box of the blazer and I believe they even retained the tailgate.
 
Jessie James said:
FYI - My 91 Blazer specifically says to NOT put a camper in the bed. There is a sticker in the glove box. Maybe it's a safety or load issue?
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I think it would depend on multiple things. Personally I don't like the truck campers, you see those things on the road? They shift the whole truck left and right when changing lanes.

It was just a thought. More specifically, using it to go camping, hunting, etc. What the weight would be, how large. I don't even know the payload of a K5, and of course, what have you done, 3/4 ton swap, brakes, etc. If you were to modify a regular truck camper, it could fit size wise better.

Is all of this worth it? No, probably not. But if you had the time, materials, a free camper, the money, and just wanted to for S&Gs, just as a project to putz around with. That was my whole thought process.
chalet2506 said:
yep

I'm about 4 hrs from Hot Springs. If you however decide you need a Chalet camper bad enough I'll make you deal on mine.
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Nah, I'm not serious about getting a chalet for my trip to AR. Would I like one for the hell of it, or once I'm down there to go camping or hunting? Ya sure. But where I personally stand right now, I'm selling my CUCV, because it's not worth the gas, or $1500 for shipping. Plus no AC, I know how hot it is there :doah: It's financially smarter for me to buy another when I get there, they're everywhere.

But, few months down the road when we're there and settled and the K5 shopping starts, If I decide to persue this thought. I may return to this thread and shoot you a PM :D Because there's already plans on going hunting, and a chalet would be the bees knees. Is it just the chalet top, or the whole vehicle and all?
 
I'd offer that guy what you thought it was worth. I don't see him selling it for anywhere near what he's asking. It's worth less than $200 in scrap.

BTW, looks like you and I are darn near neighbors!
 
dyeager535 said:
...It's worth less than $200 in scrap...
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That's pretty much correct. As I mentioned in this other thread, there are also a pair of gutted ones that are free, as contrasted with the serial #0290 that a guy in the Chicago area is trying to sell for $3500.

I assume this Seattle seller got his price from the Chicago one. I get so depressed when I see these kinds of prices, it means the sellers did maybe 3 minutes' worth of research on the internet and are convinced they have an "Antiques Roadshow" item that people kill for.

I've been printing out eBay and Craigslist ads for these going back to 2006. The #0290 shell-only originally came out of a Wisconsin 2006 eBay listing for the complete vehicle, all of which sold for $102. It got split up and the camper unit owner was a member of our Yahoo Chalet forum, while the Blazer (last I heard) was seen in the Cortland Illinois area.

I don't recognize this Seattle one. "mrschaeferpants", perhaps you could snag the serial number & build date from the little plate by the back door, assuming I don't hear back from the seller?
 
Jessie James said:
FYI - My 91 Blazer specifically says to NOT put a camper in the bed. There is a sticker in the glove box. Maybe it's a safety or load issue?
Click to expand...

The rumor is that is why GM stopped making them the Fed said they were under powered, lacked braking power and exceeded weight. So rather than recall they quit making them. :dunno:
 
dyeager535 said:
BTW, looks like you and I are darn near neighbors!
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Yup, I was even closer back when I lived on post :D There's someone else here I see from time to time in Graham.

We used to go wheeling all the time behind Lewis in the training areas out east gate rd.

a77blazerchalet said:
I don't recognize this Seattle one. "mrschaeferpants", perhaps you could snag the serial number & build date from the little plate by the back door, assuming I don't hear back from the seller?
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If we weren't running balls to the walls trying to move, I might of taken a trip. But I hate driving in Seattle, even when I want to go there for something. And it's like an hour drive with 0 traffic. So between 9:30pm-4:30am. 7 days a week lol
 
Metrodps said:
...under powered, lacked braking power and exceeded weight ...
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Well, mine with the 400 had a decent amount of jump to it, but like so many others I've seen (those that didn't have air bags added), it had aftermarket helper springs.

I had little daily driver cars prior to it and the one I still have is able to stop on a quarter and give change. But that Chalet was a whole different matter with its brakes. Ya see a stop sign up in the distance, ya start planning how to stop now. So the deal with the glove box warning tag is that if ya put an aftermarket camper on a regular Blazer filled with several hundred pounds of extra stuff, and still expect it to handle like a sports car, you're outta luck if ya want to sue GM for plowing through stops signs.

But, our man Doug W tells how to fix that in the tech tips section of the blazerchalet.com site, see "Technical stuff: Brakes"
 
I had thought about this a while ago, for just a hunting rig, I dont see why you couldnt just make a removable plywood and 2x4's, sealed up with caulk. get some shelves in there, a heater, a navy style sleeping rack etc.

as long as you made it so it used the factory mounting holes along the bed rails and cab, id imagine it would be just as solid as a camper, for alot less money :) although probably be heavier than hell...
 
There are reasons other than weight that GM advised against a camper in a K5. The inside of the bed rails isn't set up for it. You might shear off your speakers, for example. Then you have an unsealed cab (possibly a CO liability) and all the rear carpet and interior is now exterior. (Can you imagine the carpet after a having a camper sitting on it a couple years?) The tailgate isn't really designed to be removeable. You would probably have to slide the seats all the way forward to clear the front wall of the camper. I know that any of us doing this would make a lot of changes to accomodate a camper, but it's anybody's guess what random schmucks might do.
 
mrschaeferpants said:
Oh and just now...
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/3295900609.html
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Talked to the seller a short time ago, his camper unit is serial #1169, built 9/76. He still has the Blazer it belongs to, a brown/tan one that apparently is his daily driver. He thanked me for the overall info I had on these and is considering putting the camper back on it to maintain a better collectible price for the whole thing, camper units by themselves being not worth all that much...
 
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