Electrics relating to leisure battery

For quite a few years I have a 2.4a solar panel connected to keep just the leisure battery topped as van is kept in storage with no electric hook up.

Will try to explain the problem as it no longer keeps the battery charged although seems to be working fine.
A volt meter across the solar panel (SP) showed 21 to 24 volts today when measured completely disconnect from vehicle. Battery has dropped to 5v (having it checked tomorrow)
Have removed the battery but the weird thing is that when I connect the SP to the battery terminals (battery still removed) the volt meter only shows 5 volts same as the battery did not the 20plus the SP is pushing out, disconnect either of the SP leads from the battery connection and the voltage again shows 20v plus
There is nothing switched on in the van but somewhere something is causing a big voltage drop and it cannot be a faulty battery as this is 20 feet away being charged up in the garage.

If this does not make any sense on how I have tried to explain its because I have been at this for hours

David

If it's one of those small ones about a foot long it may have fried your battery, I had one for my caravan and it destroyed the battery.

Just thought I would let you know what was the solution to my problem as it is a little left field.

I have the full blown TRACKER system combined with movement alarm.
Spoke to Tracker help desk and this is what he explained.

First of all my leisure battery was on the way out with a cell blown so max it would hold was about 10v. This is not enough for the Tracker system to operate fully, so the clever bit of kit goes to its back up battery which in normal circumstances recharges itself from the leisure battery (or its charger) however it will keep taking power to try and keep working and will/Can take a battery down to 5v and thus it will in effect totally kn****er it. The mini solar panel was/would only register about 5v as this is what the backup battery was at.
I was lucky that when I put on another car battery that I had knocking about the garage the Tracker/alarm system kicked back into life as Tracker told me it was a fixed charge of £150 to replace the whole lot. Just to make life nice and easy he told me the black box was mounted behind the water tank under the bench seat which has to be totally dismantled to get at it.

Phew

Nice new battery should be here in the morning ready for a trip away (10 days) from Sunday

David