This is a 1977 GMC Jimmy “Casa Grande” 4×4 camper pickup, it’s a relatively rare survivor that looks to be in original, unrestored condition throughout, and it’s now being offered for sale.
Just 1,800 or so examples of the GMC Jimmy Casa Grande and its closely-related sibling, the Chevrolet Blazer Chalet were made in 1976 and 1977 when production ceased. They were essentially designed as all-in-one 4×4 campers, essentially a mountain cabin on wheels.
Fast Facts – The GMC Jimmy Casa Grande
- The 1977 GMC Jimmy “Casa Grande” is a rare 4×4 camper pickup, with only about 1,800 units produced between 1976-1977. It was designed as an all-in-one 4×4 camper, essentially a mobile cabin, created during the booming recreational four-wheel drive industry of the mid-1970s.
- The Casa Grande was based on the GMC Jimmy, modified by Chinook Mobilodge Inc. with a permanently attached steel-framed, fiberglass camper shell. Standard features included beds, seating for four, a small dinette table, sink, two-burner stove, and icebox, with optional additions like fold-down beds and an electric refrigerator.
- This particular 1977 model is in original, unrestored condition. It features a 350 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 engine, an automatic transmission, a dual-range transfer case, air conditioning, power steering, and power brakes. The camper includes a kitchenette, refrigerator, gas cooktop, and convertible double bed.
- The vehicle is finished in two-tone tan and white, with a bull bar, front-mounted spare wheel, and high-lift jack. It rides on steel wheels with larger BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires for improved ground clearance. This Casa Grande is scheduled for auction with Mecum on September 6th in Dallas.
A Four-Wheel Drive Cabin In The Woods
By the mid-1970s the recreational four-wheel drive industry was booming. From its relatively obscure origins in the 1950s and 1960s the genre had found its feet, and Americans across the country were buying up four-wheel drives in their droves.
Though it may look bulky at first, the camper is made from fiberglass and as such it’s relatively lightweight. This means it doesn’t negatively affect the off-road ability of the Jimmy too noticeably.
A few other revolutions were happening concurrently, the dirt bike craze was sweeping the nation and showing no signs of abating, and the American infatuation with RVs was taking off. In the 1970s General Motors was showing significant interest in the RV sector and they tried a number of approaches to capitalize on it.
Two of the most memorable were perhaps the GMC Motorhome and the Chevrolet Blazer Chalet along with its sibling, the GMC Jimmy Casa Grande. Both vastly different types of RVs, designed to appeal to both ends of the market. Whereas the Motorhome was a large self-contained home on wheels the Blazer Chalet and Jimmy Casa Grande offered more spartan accommodation, but it also gave owners the ability to go almost anywhere.
Each Jimmy Casa Grande started life on the production line with all of the regular Jimmys, they were then sent to the facilities of Chinook Mobilodge Inc. who completed the build process. This build process included cutting out the back of the original passenger cab before the installation of the steel-framed, fiberglass camper shell back.
The camper shell was designed to be permanently fitted, which did limit the versatility of the vehicle somewhat, though some owners have found a way of removing them for repairs or to convert the vehicle back to a standard Blazer/Jimmy.
“Did you ever notice that the toughest places to get to usually turn out to be the nicest places to stay? Too bad you couldn’t have a neat little cabin right in the middle of it all. With a new Chevy Blazer Chalet, you’ve got it.” – Blazer Chalet advertisement, 1977.
Casa Grande Fittings + Options
The options list when ordering your Casa Grande was long, though none of the options included a toilet, so owners had to make do in the woods on that front. When placing your order you could choose to have two additional fold down beds (allowing the vehicle to sleep four), and an electric refrigerator with an extra battery.
The interior of this GMC Jimmy is pure 1970s, with the brown, plaid, and faux wood trim all present and accounted for.
The standard options included everything you really needed, like two beds, seating for four, a small dinette table, a sink with a water carrying capacity of five gallons, a two burner gas stove, and an icebox (if you didn’t opt for the fridge).
Four-wheel drive campers have come a long way over the past few decades but there’s an undeniable charm to these older original models, and with the recent explosion in popularity of vintage four-wheelers it’s only a matter of time before vehicles like the Blazer Chalet/Casa Grande are discovered by a new generation of enthusiasts.
The 1977 GMC Jimmy Casa Grande Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is a 1977 GMC Jimmy Casa Grande in true survivor condition throughout. It’s finished in a two-tone tan and white color combination with the camper shell on the back matching the main body of the truck.
Power is provided by a 350 cubic inch (5.7 liter) small block Chevrolet V8 which is mated to an automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. It has factory-fitted air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, plaid seats, and an AM/FM radio.
In the back you’ll find the pop-top camper equipped with a kitchenette, refrigerator, a gas burning cooktop, two small couches with a removable table in the middle that can convert into a double bed when needed. This Jimmy Casa Grande has a bull bar up front with a front-mounted spare wheel and a high-lift jack.
In the rear you’ll notice the table removed and sitting upside down on the right. This can be fitted to a hole in the floor in the middle to provide a dinette for four people, or lowered to form the base for a double bed.
The vehicle rides on steel wheels now fitted with larger BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires which look to have plenty of tread left, and they have the added benefit of offering a little more ground clearance.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum on September the 6th in Dallas. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
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