Screws through the awning rail?!?

[inTransit]

I wanted to see if anyone else had encountered this. My '74 came with the road side awning intact, but on closer inspection there was an oddity with the awning rail.

Rather than finding rivets driven through the flat metal portion of the awning rail, located just above the c-channel, it appears someone had installed the rail by drilling screws through the c-channel.

These screws are the only support for both the awning fabric and for keeping the rail on the trailer. The awning fabric, which appeared original (since replaced), looked like it had a safety strap that strengthened the fabric end that went into the c-channel where id expect to see a rope or cord.

Anyway, Im asking if anyone else has seen this because Im certain it had contributed to leaks over the years. But the rest of the install looked factory, so I wonder it this was by design. A poor design anyway..