Jack,
I have a 2 slide coach, and my wife and I love it. We tailgate a lot, and the extra room is nice to have when you have 10 to 12 people inside the coach.
You had talked about the time involved with deploying the slides, it takes me 7 minutes to extend both slides. It is no more difficult than pressing a button. My coach is 7 years old and we haven't had any serious problems with the slides.
I think that a good slide analogy would be the 45' bus compared to the 40' bus. Almost everybody wants the 45' because the living area is larger, and larger usually equates to more comfortable. Most women like the extra space because it makes the bus feel like a home instead of a long narrow hall. They add a deminsion to the salon, kitchen, and bedroom that makes the bus seem more like a home.
I know that many on this site are opposed to slides, and they have valid reasons and I am not trying to change their minds on the subject. This is just my opinion.
If it is possible, try to spend a few days in a coach with slides. There's nothing like trying it out to see if you and your wife like it. I have a feeling that if you try it, you will like it. The additional cost is a personal financial matter and it is true that slides do cost more to buy, the best usually does.
One more point; I believe, as do quite a few others on this site, that non slide coaches will depreciate more than slide coaches. That said, I will say good luck to you and your family, and may you have a Merry Christmas.
Tuga & Karen Gaidry
2012 Honda Pilot