Entries Close November 12: The Orange VW Bus Giveaway, Date by Date

Paid advertisement from VanLife. VanLife is the sponsor of this giveaway and wrote this article to promote its own prize and membership.

From the September 25 opening to the on-or-about November 18 drawing: every date in the Official Rules for the orange '69 VW Bus giveaway, in order.

The orange and white VW Bus parked under trees with a side door open, with pumpkins and yellow mums in front — The orange Bus from the giveaway page: one Grand Prize, one set of dates.

Every giveaway runs on a clock. This one has a start, a finish, a mail-in cutoff and a drawing, and the dates are not all the same day. Here is the whole timeline from the Official Rules, in order.

All times are Eastern Time (ET). The Sponsor's database computer is the official time-keeping device for the Sweepstakes, per the rules.

Friday, Sept. 25, 2026The giveaway opens

The Sweepstakes Period begins at 12:00:01 a.m. ET. From that moment, eligible legal residents of the US and Canada, 18 or at the age of majority, can enter.

Now through Nov. 12The entry window

The window runs until the last second of November 12. A free mail-in entry is worth 10 entries, and a purchase will not improve your chances of winning.

An orange Vespa and the orange and white VW Bus with a roof rack, parked among hay bales, pumpkins and yellow mums — The prize pair, as photographed for the giveaway page.

Thursday, Nov. 12The window closes at 11:59:59 p.m. ET

This is the end of the Sweepstakes Period and the postmark deadline for mail-in entries. A card postmarked on November 12 is still on time for the postmark rule.

Tuesday, Nov. 17Mail must be received

Mailed cards have a second deadline. The rules say entries must be received by November 17, 2026. A postmark alone does not meet the rules.

For mail-in entrantsFour steps, in date order

The Official Rules lay out the mail route. Work backward from the postmark date:

Hand-print five items on paper or a card sized 3" x 5": name, mailing address, phone, birth date and email.
Use a #10 envelope and put proper postage on it.
Mail each envelope on its own to the PO box in Macedon, New York that the Official Rules give.
Make sure the postmark is November 12, 2026 or earlier, and that it arrives by November 17, 2026.

The orange and white VW Bus seen from the front with a side door open and an orange Vespa parked beside it — The Bus and Vespa from the front, as photographed for the giveaway page.

Open Sept. 25 · Closes Nov. 12

Mark both dates on your calendar

See the Giveaway & Enter →

No purchase necessary. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Open to legal residents of the US and Canada, 18+ or the age of majority. Void where prohibited. Ends 11/12/2026 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Official Rules

On or about Wed., Nov. 18The drawing

The Administrator, American Sweepstakes & Promotion Co., Inc., picks the Grand Prize winner in a random drawing on or about November 18, 2026. Odds depend on how many eligible entries come in overall.

After the drawingWhat the clock looks like for a potential winner

The Sponsor or Administrator contacts the potential winner by phone, email and/or USPS mail. The rules then set short time limits:

Paperwork comes first. A US resident returns an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability & Publicity Release. A Canadian resident returns a Declaration of Compliance. Either is due three days after the notice goes out.
A potential winner who cannot be reached or does not comply within two business days of the first notification attempt can be disqualified, and an alternate may be selected.
A Canadian citizen who is a potential winner must also answer a skill-testing question correctly and without help.

Solar panels, a power station, a Starlink dish, a Dometic cooler and an orange JBL speaker laid out on grass under trees — The travel bundle that is part of the Grand Prize.

Thursday, Dec. 31The winners list request

To request the winner's first name, last initial, city and state, send a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope to the address in the Official Rules by December 31, 2026.

Inside the camper: white pillows printed with pumpkins on a stitched orange bench beside an oval table with orange flowers — The camper's rear living area, as shown on the giveaway page.

Behind the datesWhat the clock is counting down to

The Grand Prize pairs a restored 1969 Volkswagen with a Vespa. It adds a travel bundle covering solar, internet, a cooler and a speaker, plus $10,000 in cash. The rules put its approximate retail value at $100,000.

The rules also list what falls to the winner, such as registration and licensing costs and taxes. The vehicle is awarded "AS IS."

The fine print, in plain EnglishHow entering works

Members are entered automatically. An active VanLife membership includes automatic entry into every VanLife giveaway, alongside the other member benefits.

Anyone can enter for free. Mail a hand-printed 3" x 5" card as described in the Official Rules. Each mail-in entry counts as 10 entries. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by November 12, 2026 and received by November 17, 2026.

Paying never improves your odds. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning, and odds depend on the number of eligible entries received.

Restored Bus · Matching Vespa

The entry window ends Thursday, November 12

Enter by the Deadline →

What is VanLife?

VanLife is a membership club for people who love the open road. Members get:

Cash back when you shop at more than 6,600 stores
Trees planted every month through your membership
Digital wallpapers for your phone and desktop, included with membership
Discounts on VanLife merch for Silver members and above
Automatic entry into every VanLife giveaway while your membership is active

Membership starts at $15 per month, renews monthly until you cancel, and can be canceled anytime from your account. Past winners are listed on our winners page.

You never have to buy anything to enter. There's a free way to enter by mail, described in the Official Rules, and a purchase will not improve your chances of winning.

The short version

Opens Fri, Sept. 25, 2026 at 12:00:01 a.m. ET
Closes Thu, Nov. 12 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET
Mail-ins: postmark Nov. 12, receipt Nov. 17
Drawing on or about Wed, Nov. 18
Winners list requests due by Dec. 31, 2026

Common questions

Does an entry postmarked on November 12 count?

The rules require a postmark by November 12, 2026, and receipt by November 17, 2026. Both dates have to be met.

What time does the giveaway end?

At 11:59:59 p.m. ET on November 12, 2026.

Is the drawing exactly on November 18?

The rules say "on or about" November 18, 2026, so the date is approximate.

Are there deadlines after the drawing?

Yes, short ones for a potential winner. See the "After the drawing" section above and the Official Rules.

See the Giveaway Page →