For what it's worth, I recently acquired a 1988 Voyageur for loaded touring. It's a solid ride and handles the test loads well. My only real complaint relates to my being a tall rider (6' 2") and I'm not thrilled with the length of the top tube. I've got a 100mm stem and I'm going to need to look at a 120 (or possibly even 130mm) stem to get my body geometry oriented more to my personal level of riding comfort. I prefer a flatter, more spread out riding position ... which is not necessarily the ideal touring position by the way. I do like that the Voyageur can handle the lowrider front racks and feels pretty stable under load. All that said, I'm not certain the touring rig will best meet my own needs: I am probably better suited to a randonneur-style bike (long, continuous, unsupported riding vs. day-after-day, stop-to-camp-and-sleep riding) and may ultimately wind up with a bike whose geometry supports riding with a front handlebar bag rather than loaded down with tent and sleeping bag.