1997, 1500 Cruise Control troubleshoothing

I bought a 1997, 1500, 2wd, 5.2, auto to tow my boat with. The truck runs great but the cruise doesn't work. I looked under the hood and everything is hooked up. I can't find a fuse in either box. The light doesn't come on. The air bag light is on too, and the previous owner says it was like that when he got it. Can anyone give me some places to start the troubleshooting process? This is my first Mopar since a 1963 300 I got from my bro's in-laws in 1971.

In case it comes up again this is caused by a faulty clockspring. That is the device that allows the steering wheel to turn and still maintain the electrical connections to the steering wheel controls. The telltales are the air bag light and the failed cruise. The horn may or may not work. Pretty easy to change out, just be careful with the bag. Unhook the battery and let it sit for an hour before you start. You also have to get a steering wheel puller. Rent borrow or buy one. Advance Auto in my town had no loaners so I had to buy one, $15.

my air bag light is on and cruise has quit about the time the trans started slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear.

The clockspring is a ribbon wire that is coiled up inside the steering column. It delivers current to all of the systems mentioned above, airbag, cruise control and horn. When it fails (and they do a lot) the wire breaks leaving the circuit open and inoperative. This will cause the airbag light to come on and shut down the system. As long as that light is on, the airbags will NOT deploy, even in an accident.
This was a factory recall and many customers are unaware of that. Contact your local dealer and they will accommodate the replacement for you.
Check out these web pages for a more complete description:

http://www.airbagsolutions.com/docs/Clockspring.pdf
http://www.airbagsolutions.com
http://www.airbagsolutions.com/docs/NHTSA1.pdf