Rainman Portable 24VDC 55L
What you are actually buying
Drawn to this model’s own published specification: portable, 1 × 40in membranes, and a pump driven by a 24V DC motor.
What it costs to run
A four-person crew using 25 litres a head needs 100 litres a day. On this system that is:
DC systems have to fit inside the energy your solar, wind and alternator can spare. Run the numbers against your own bank in the calculator.
Is it worth it?
At 11.3 watt-hours per litre it sits mid-table: 3.1 times the energy of the most efficient system we rank, and about 1.7 times less than the thirstiest. 1,132 Wh puts 100 litres in the tank.
Suits
- Boats where it has to come off. A portable unit stows, moves between boats and can be serviced on a bench rather than upside down in a locker.
- Tight budgets. At $4,898 indicative it is in the cheapest quarter of the table — the saving is up front, and the energy is where you pay it back.
Look elsewhere if
Worth pricing against it: Schenker Zen 30 makes 30 litres an hour at 3.7 Wh/L, so the same 100 litres costs 765 Wh less every day — for $1,402 more up front. See the Zen 30 →
Every line above is a consequence of a published figure. We have not tested this machine and publish no opinion on its build, reliability or support. How we judge systems.
Where it sits in the market
Ranked 20 of 34 rated systems on watt-hours per litre, where lower is better.
A conventional high-pressure pump, but with enough membrane area behind it to keep the energy per litre reasonable. How the two technologies differ →
What people cross-shop it against
The rest of the Rainman range
Common questions
- How much power does the Rainman Portable 24VDC 55L use?
- It draws 600 W and makes 45–61 L/hr, which works out to 11.3 watt-hours per litre. Making 100 litres — four people at 25 litres a head — costs about 1,132 Wh, or roughly 94 amp-hours from a 12 V bank.
- How long does the Portable 24VDC 55L take to make a day's water?
- At its rated 45–61 L/hr, 100 litres takes about 1.9 hours. Output falls in cold or silty water, so treat that as a best case rather than a promise for every anchorage.
- How much does the Rainman Portable 24VDC 55L cost in Australia?
- Our indicative figure is $4,898, taken from the manufacturer's published US list and excluding freight, duty and installation. Australian dealer pricing is usually all-inclusive and reads higher. Ask a stockist for a landed AUD quote before you budget.
- Who sells the Rainman Portable 24VDC 55L in Australia?
- 16 verified Australian businesses are listed as Rainman dealers or specialists, including Quadrant Marine, Spot on Marine, CROFTECH Marine and Motor. Each entry links to the manufacturer or company page that proves it.
- Is the Portable 24VDC 55L efficient?
- It ranks 20 of 34 rated systems in our table on watt-hours per litre, where lower is better. The best in the table is 3.7 Wh/L. It uses a conventional high-pressure pump, which is the main reason it sits above the energy-recovery systems.
- Is the Rainman Portable 24VDC 55L worth it?
- At 11.3 watt-hours per litre it sits mid-table: 3.1 times the energy of the most efficient system we rank, and about 1.7 times less than the thirstiest. 1,132 Wh puts 100 litres in the tank. It suits several cases: Boats where it has to come off. A portable unit stows, moves between boats and can be serviced on a bench rather than upside down in a locker. We publish no opinion on build quality or reliability, because we have not tested it.