I replaced all the aging headliner in our 2005 Hunter 33. It‘s a big job, but doable. I bought French Vanilla Marine Vinyl on sale from JoAnn Fabrics (look online for 50% off coupons) and used wall upholstery tools. A rounded off putty knife will work as well. There is a plastic track with a groove in the center, screwed into the wall. To access this, lift the fabric by gently pushing up at a corner until the fabric pulls out of the track. If it is in good shape, you will be able to re-insert. All our fabric was too aged. Replacing is a two part process. The track is in pieces, generally screwed into pieces of starboard, or into wood. If the track is an edge, it has the appearance of piping, with a small fold and then the large main fabric , both of which are actually tucked into the same groove in the plastic track. If it is an area where one piece of fabric abuts another, then both pieced of fabric will tuck into the same track groove.
For all headliner at the edges, there is a strip of fabric running under the plastic track, and it tucks up into the track. That small strip covers the outside edge of the plastic track and gives the edge of the headliner an appearance like piping. It will cover the outer edge of the plastic track. The larger main fabric piece will tuck into the same opening in the track from the other direction. Put Teflon grease as others have mentioned into the track. This will not damage the vinyl. We also used food-grade silicone spray on the top of the vinyl (use for any squeaky fabric) to help ease it in. So after the large fabric piece is removed, the track must be removed (I numbered them all) , the old piping strip is pulled out. Place a new strip (about 2 inches wide, place good side down, under the track. In this photo, the track is removed, and the piping fabric is being placed
In the photo below it, you see the old piping fabric in place under the track before the track is removed to replace that fabric. I numbered each piece of track I took off and numbered the corresponding area where it screws back in.
place
View attachment 212787View attachment 212788
The piping strip should be secured well behind the track, with screws or glue. It hangs down about an inch below the track. This is the fabric you will tuck up into the track once you’ve screwed the track back on.
Now you have the “piping” done. One side of the track is now covered with fabric. You will then insert the large fabric piece. Tuck this in to the lubricated track groove.
I used all removed pieces of fabric, the “piping“ edges and the large sections, as templates for the new fabric.
Hope this helps and good luck!
