A power tongue jack makes the weight distribution bars a breeze. Many if not most trailers come with power jacks now too.
I am currently sticking with a half ton truck and may never move up. I'm just a few years from retirement and plan to travel fairly extensively. I think the bride and I will be just fine on long voyages as long as we can occasionally put a door between us that's not the bathroom door. I've found a pretty good variety of trailers that are under 30', half ton towable, and still have room and creature comforts. The brands I'm eyeing the most are Lance and Outdoors RV, but I'm open to other brands as well. I'm not a big fan of slides, but may change my mind after a longer stay in the trailer. We'll see. Good luck in your quest.