It may not be pretty, but it works

Last week I fashioned a way to secure the awning for travel.  Like the title says, it may not be pretty but at least it will work.  I picked up some tarp straps for $10.  Cut some small slits in the awning and attached the straps so that they go around the entire awning and bag. 

I no longer have to worry about the awning coming undone while on the road and ripping violently off the camper.  You can't tell from the pictures but the 2 ends on each of the straps are connected by large hooks underneath the awning bag.  This is definitely not the best solution but the best I could come up with right away. 

The weakest point is probably where I cut the slits for the straps.  I tried to cut them in the thick seam where the bag and the awning is connected to the camper.

I realize that there is a potential for these slits to continue to rip down the seam but I figure that it would take a while to do that and there really wasn't any other option.  The bag/awning combo is in pretty bad shape since the bag will no longer zip closed around the awning.

This will have to work until I either think of a better solution or replace the entire awning.

This past weekend I did manage to clean out the garage.  One evening this week I will raise Frostbite and pack her for our 2nd trip this coming weekend to Paris Landing State Park.  I intend to do a better job pre-packing than I did last trip.