Originally Posted by
bikemig
...chain stays are short but the bike is pretty stout. If you get a long enough rack (and panniers that aren't too wide) the heel clearance shouldn't be a big issue. That does put the center of gravity back a bit but I suspect that won't be a big problem.
Some can make this work - some can't. Putting a huge load way back can cause handling problems, particularly shimmy, which can be terrifying, cause a crash, and be difficult to resolve (usual remedy is to move load to front panniers).
If the solution was this simple and cheap, then no one would sell or buy touring-specific frames.