> all I need is a laptop with a big/nice enough screen to ssh

> 48GB 16 inch MBP

That's wicked overkill for ssh + browser. A 15" MacBook Air would work for this really nicely. This is how I use my 13" Air, and for the big screen I dock it at a desk.

I wish they could bring back the 11" Air or 12" MacBook and trim the bezels for something like this. It would be an amazingly portable computer. The 11" iPad Pro with keyboard case is almost this, but you're stuck with iOS and it's actually pretty thick and heavy compared to a MacBook.