FabricGATOR, nothing was melted but the old ceramic resistor I replaced was disintegrating. I did replace it earlier in the thread.
I've seen little information on this issue other than replacing parts. That's why I want to follow it through to the end.
I won't be that guy,

Checked all of the wires and connectors I could find/trace. I even pulled the center dash cover out and looked at the heater controls and wiring. Every thing looks good, no bad connections or bulging/burnt wires. I'll look for a replacement fan and google up a way to test the resistor tomorrow.

In the meantime everyone enjoy Independence Day.

 

Rusty, If you can get to the fan motor connector and test for voltage and then try the various speed settings. That is how I would test the resistor (or speed controller) I am only a 1500SLT for all of about 53 hours now but a lot of this stuff is common across Mopar products and even various manufacturer brands. When unplugged, you can also check for continuity through the fan motor. If no continuity, then it may be a s simple as replacing the blower motor.
Cheers!

 

Fixed it, it was the fan. I shot a video on diagnosing the problem and testing both the fan and resistor. I will post the video as soon as I edit it. the procedure is quick and easy.