Cross Country Camper Rig: 1976 Chevrolet Blazer Chalet

This past weekend, my dad, brother and I went up to our cabin in Pike County (about an hour southeast of Scranton) and brought home our RV, a 1976 Chevrolet G30 Holiday Rambler. After discussing what to do with it, we decided to give it to our friend from our local veterinarian clinic. It was a sombering and bittersweet decision, considering the memories my family had taking it camping throughout Pennsylvania and discussing the possibility of one day taking it to places like Yellowstone National Park and the Redwood Forest in California. On the other hand, the family car collection is being thinned out for good reason, and there's still my 1978 Dodge Tradesman 200 van, which is a bit smaller but nearly as capable. Also a bit smaller and just as capable as my family's Holiday Rambler is this 1976 Chevrolet Blazer Chalet, which is the seventh one built out of a production of 1,712 for the 1976 model year. Find it here on eBay in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with a current bid of $3,001 and roughly a day left to bid. 

Built from the spring of 1976 up to early 1977, the Blazer Chalet is essentially a Blazer with a pop-up camper in place of its hardtop. Sold through Chevrolet dealerships, the Blazer Chalet (and its badge-engineered clone, the GMC Jimmy Casa Grande) came off the same production line as a regular Blazer, but were shipped to Chinook Mobilodge in Washington to have its camper shell installed. As previously mentioned, there were only 1,712 Blazer Chalets built, and this particular Chalet is the seventh built, making it a very rare and early build. A barn find, condition appears to be decent, with a missing front bumper, a ratchet-strapped camper door, and a bit of rust below the passenger-side turn signal next to the grille being the prevalent areas of concern. The seller suggests a restoration, but I would be tempted to leave as is, only addressing the visual areas of concern. The Chevrolet "Like a Rock" mudflaps are cool, as is the two-tone tan and brown paint scheme. I would clean up the outside, fix the camper door, source a new front bumper, address the rust spot under the turn signal, and swap on a set of Cooper Discoverer AT/3 tires onto the pickup Rally wheels. 

The odometer may read 35,030 miles, but I'm curious as to whether the mileage is original or if the odometer has rolled once. Unfortunately, the seller does not provide a picture of the Blazer Chalet's drivetrain, but does say the Chalet is powered by the optional 400 small-block Chevrolet V8. Rated at 175 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque, the 400 is essentially a bored-out version of Chevrolet's small-block 350 and can be easily modified for more power. Backed by a three-speed TH-400 automatic, this Blazer Chalet benefits from a bulletproof drivetrain, but could use a boost in power, fuel economy, and overall driveability. Being a K5 Blazer, four-wheel drive is equipped, which makes the possibilities of where to camp nearly endless. I would build up the 400 SBC a bit, add a Gear Vendors overdrive unit to the TH-400, and take this camper rig cross country.

Besides the speedometer, this is the only view of the interior from the photos provided from the eBay listing. From what can be seen, everything looks to be pretty solid and straight, albeit in need of a thorough cleaning. With seating for two up front in the cab and up to four in the camper part, the Blazer Chalet's camper seats fold out to a bed that sleeps two. There's also a propane heater and stove, water tank and sink, either an icebox or a fridge, shelves, closets, a removable tabletop, and on some Chalets, fold-out upper bunks to sleep two (unfortunately, a toilet or shower was not included). Said to be very roomy, this Chalet is a bit dusty and dirty from sitting, but looks to be savable after some elbow grease and some cleaning supplies are utilized. Though in need of a bit of attention, this Blazer Chalet is surprisingly solid and in decent shape despite sitting in a barn all of these years. I would clean it up, gather and fit the necessary parts missing, fix the few problem areas, enhance the drivetrain, and take it around the country camping. What are your thoughts on this rare Blazer Chalet?