If you really want to tour, and don't want to "settle", then buy a dedicated touring bike. However, if you want to tour and you don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on another bike at this point, tour on what you have and make it work. I started touring on a 1973 Raleigh Gran Prix 10-speed, and had a wonderful time! Of course I would have liked a granny gear, but I made it up all those hills without one. I had to rig up something so my size 14's didn't hit my panniers, but I was able to. I went on a 1-week tour with a girl riding a borrowed Schwinn Varsity (weighed 40 lbs., or it seemed to) and she didn't have panniers. We tied stuff on her bike and she had a great time. I'm sure that if she ever had a chance to ride a Trek 520 or a Surly LHT (in 1974?) she would never have gotten on the Varsity again, but it was all she could get her hands on. I think my point is that you can tour and have a great time on just about anything, even though certain bikes make the experience all the more enjoyable.

It sounds like your bike could be made to work just fine without too much trouble - a tweak here and there. Then, if you get bitten by the touring bug, you can start thinking about what brand of touring bike you want.