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Разве ничего нельзя сделать?
In response to this, I just said in conversation:
Кто знает. Правда, боюсь, надеяться кроме авося больше не на что.
I'm now wondering if I should have placed the preposition "на" after "кроме", too?
Кто знает. Правда, боюсь, надеяться кроме на авось больше не на что.
In hindsight, I think I was tempted to use "на" as early on in this clause as possible, as I started it with "надеяться".
The first variant is a great humorous sentence, i like it. Not because it's ostensibly incorrect but because it sounds witty, with tongue in cheek.
The preposition кроме before anything but a (pro)noun/numeral/adjective in any case but Genitive requires conjunction как - кроме как
кроме нас but кроме как у нас/про нас/нам/нами
кроме синего but кроме как синий/-им/-ему
кроме утра but кроме как утром etc.
Therefore, although you beat me to it with your comment while i was typing up this response, the stylistically correct version is
Правда, боюсь, надеяться кроме как на авось больше не на что.
or in a more relaxed order
Правда, боюсь, кроме как на авось надеяться больше не на что.
But i still prefer your original one.
The only valid form is "на авось" - in this usage it's not declined anyhow and stays exactly in the same form. "Авось" is declined in some extremely rarely used phrases, mostly sayings like "от авося добра не жди" or "авося жданки съели" or "авосю не вовсе верь".
It would be safe to say that most likely the only place one can encounter declined "авось" is dictionary.
