Two caravans and a boat worth a total of about $100,000 were stolen from the yard of Utow Caravan Hire during the night of Friday, February 5.

Owner Ron Gunn said thieves had cut through "uncuttable" padlocks to get into the yard in Simcock Street.

Mr Gunn bought the yard in Somerville and moved his business there four weeks ago after trading in Moorabbin for three years.

"I never had any problems in Moorabbin," he said.

He believes at least two cars were involved in Friday night's heist.

"They would have had to be four-wheel drives or work utes," he said.

"The vans they took are very heavy and if you hooked them onto a Falcon or a Commodore they would probably bottom-out."

Yesterday (Monday) Mr Gunn was busy arranging lock boxes for the gates of his yard, after the thieves made light work of cutting the heavy duty uncuttable padlocks on the gates.

He fears the caravans may already be "on a block somewhere in Echuca or somewhere". It would be difficult to dispose of them on the second-hand market.

"It's a very tough market; all caravans have chassis numbers."

One of the vans stolen was frequently used by Mr Gunn and his wife Kate for weekends travelling in country Victoria. It had repair work to the front end and was emblazoned with the Utow logo.

"I'd know that van anywhere, straightaway," he said.

The other stolen caravan and the boat were owned privately and stored at Utow.

A keen traveller, Mr Gunn established Utow three years ago after a short-lived retirement. "I failed at retirement."

While insurance would help cover the cost of the thefts, he said he felt for his clients who stored their boat and van with him. "I'd much rather have the vans and the boat than the insurance."

Both caravans were manufactured by Avan – one is a 'Marion' model, the other an 'Erin'. They are valued at about $36,000 each.

The boat, a 5.2-metre fibreglass Caribbean Crestcutter, has the registration number AY693. It had a 95-horsepower grey Evinrude outboard motor and was on a Dunbier trailer, registration C99914.

It contained all manner of fishing and boating gear and is valued at about $25,000.

Detective Sergeant Ron Fauvel said the theft occurred between 5pm on Friday, February 5 and 9am the following day.

Information to Hastings crime investigations unit on 59707850.