Picture the keys to a restored 1969 Volkswagen Bus in your hand. Where does it go first? A weekend campsite? A Saturday market? A long, slow trip with no fixed route?
This fall, one winner gets to answer that for real. VanLife's Grand Prize is a bright orange '69 Bus with a camper conversion, a Vespa custom-painted to match, a $5,000 travel bundle and $10,000 cash. Here are six ways to use it.
Idea 1The back-roads trip
Start with the classic. The Bus has a rear-mounted 1.6L air-cooled flat-four, rear-wheel drive and a four-speed manual, so you choose every gear yourself. Up front sits a large panoramic split window windshield, which means a wide view of wherever you point it.
Idea 2The Friday-night camper
Behind the front seats, the camper conversion adds a rear living and camping area with fold-down sleeping accommodation and interior storage. The bench cushions are diamond-stitched in rust orange, there's a table, and curtains hang at the windows. Load up after work on Friday, sleep in the back, and wake up Saturday somewhere quieter than your street.
Idea 3The pop-up market stall
A bright orange Bus with a sliding side access door is a ready-made backdrop for a weekend stall. Flowers, baked goods, prints or vintage finds all get a stage. Open the side door, set a table out front and let the paint do the talking. You would bring the stock, plus any permits your town requires.
Idea 4The off-grid base camp
The prize comes with a $5,000 travel bundle chosen for staying out longer than a single night:
Product names describe the prize only. None of these companies sponsors the giveaway. Under the Official Rules, the Sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value.
Idea 5The town runabout
Once camp is set, folding it all back up for a loaf of bread is a hard sell. That is the Vespa's job. It is a classic Italian step-through scooter with a two-person saddle seat, custom-painted orange to match the Bus. Leave the camper where it is and ride into town.
Idea 6The family keeper
Or skip the plans and simply keep it. Put it in the background of the holiday card. Park it by the lake for the family photo. Hand it down one day. The cab has the classic VW dashboard and instrumentation, so it already looks like the vehicle in a family album.
Six ideas · One orange '69 Bus
Which one would you try first?
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
Before you pick an ideaWhat the Bus comes with
Every idea starts from the same list. Here is how the giveaway page describes the Bus itself:
The vehicle is awarded "AS IS" without warranty, as set out in the Official Rules.
The Bus started life blue. The bright orange you see now is a custom repaint, and the Vespa was painted to match it.
The part nobody skipsWhat the winner should know
There is one Grand Prize, and one person receives every piece of it: Bus, Vespa, bundle and the $10,000 cash award. Entries close November 12, 2026, and the Administrator, American Sweepstakes & Promotion Co., Inc., holds the random drawing on or about November 18.
The Official Rules warn that the vehicle might fail the safety or emissions tests some states, counties or cities require, so the winner looks into local rules first. Registration and licensing costs, plus taxes, are the winner's responsibility.
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 '69 camper · Matching Vespa
Entries close November 12 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET
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
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
- A '69 VW Type 2 camper, custom-repainted in bright orange
- Rear living area with fold-down sleeping, a table and storage
- A classic Vespa painted orange to match
- Solar power, Starlink Mini, a dual-zone cooler and a speaker
- $10,000 cash, with the whole package valued at about $100,000
- One winner. Free mail-in entry available.
- Drawing on or about November 18, after entries close November 12
Common questions
Could I run a small business out of the Bus?
What you do with it is up to you. A stall or cart would come with its own permits, insurance and inspections, and the Official Rules make the winner solely responsible for all matters relating to the prize once it is awarded.
Is there somewhere to sleep inside?
Yes. The camper conversion includes fold-down sleeping accommodation in the rear living and camping area, along with interior storage.
Is entering free?
It can be. Hand-print a 3" x 5" card, get it postmarked no later than November 12, 2026, and make sure it arrives by November 17, 2026. Each card is worth 10 entries.
Who is eligible?
Anyone who legally resides in the US or Canada and is 18 or older, or the age of majority where they live. It is void where prohibited, and a Canadian winner has to answer a skill-testing math question.
See the '69 Bus, the Vespa & the Gear →
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