Mr Boswell won the van for his flat in an Otago University Students' Association competition that involved him keeping his hand on the vehicle for more than 10 hours on Tuesday.
His endurance trumped that of 31 other competitors who were gradually coaxed from the vehicle by offers of pizza, calls of nature or their inability to answer obscure quiz questions.
He believed his ''competitiveness'' gave him the edge.
''I didn't really prepare for it either.
''I was only planning on doing a few hours because my flatmate was doing it, but then the competitiveness kicked in.''
About 10.30pm, Mr Boswell and one other competitor attempted to answer a series of quiz questions asked by OUSA student president Hugh Baird.
Mr Boswell answered the most correctly, and for that, and 10 hours of standing, he was given the van to use for a year.
He was pleased to win the van for ''the boys on Castle St''.
Trips to Coromandel and the Rhythm and Vines music festival had already been planned, he said.
