RE: Charging while car is running?
Brian,
A lot of people turn into chicken little(the sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!) at the mention of lithium battery safety, so that's my opinion of why you're not getting a straight answer. It's obvious you're aware of the issues and risks. The short answer is, almost all hobby DC chargers I've seen can take from 12-15VDC input. If you've already got a charger, just check the specs and make sure it can take 15V input. If you're looking for an inexpensive charger, I would suggest the Hobbico Field Charger MKII. I don't own one, but a close friend does, and I've used it when I left my Triton at home. It is a no-frills charger with no computer features, and it may not eke out the last milliampere hour of capacity from the battery, but the important thing is, it is easy to use and charges reliably, as long as you follow the directions. Hope my input helps.
-Matt