Hm, maybe my original post was too wordy - let me rephrase for succinctness:

Has anyone tried touring on a Bianchi San Jose frame? If so, have you tried converting it to an internal hub ride, using a Nexus or Rohloff hub? Is the frame (essentially the same as a Bianchi Volpe, just different dropouts) worth investing in a Rohloff + new wheels for or would the money be better spent getting a Surly LHT complete build, which would probably cost the same or less? Thanks for opinions.