Turning a road/fitness/gravel bike into a touring setup – good idea?

Hello everyone, long-time lurker here! I’m planning a potential multi-week bike tour and would like feedback on whether my current idea is realistic:

I currently own a fitness/gravel bike, the CUBE SL Road SL (L, 59cm) (https://info.cube.eu/product?a=451400&h=en), and, in the spirit of “use the bike you already own,” I’m considering setting it up for bicycle touring with front and rear panniers plus a frame bag (mockup in the first image), carrying camping gear rather than relying on credit card touring. When I bought this bike, it was deliberately for fast, sporty riding, and I’ve loved it for that purpose, having done several 100 km+ day trips on it.

However, after seeing and being inspired by long-distance bike touring, I’m now considering a shift toward longer-term, self-supported travel. I’m aware this isn’t a classic touring bike (actually quite far from it), which is why I’m trying to evaluate whether this is a reasonable adaptation of a capable bike or if I’m forcing it into a role it’s not suited for.

The bike has a maximum system weight of 115 kg. Rider plus bike comes to roughly 95 kg, leaving about 20 kg for luggage. Key features to note are the aluminum frame, Ultegra groupset, 28-spoke wheels, and carbon fork, which I see as the most important potential limitations.

The Ultegra groupset is excellent for performance riding, but I’m unsure how it will handle loaded touring in terms of durability, serviceability, and tolerance for dirt and wear over weeks or months.

Similarly, the weight question isn’t just about staying under the stated limit, but whether ~20 kg of gear, split between front and rear panniers, is realistic without over-stressing the frame, wheels, or handling and whether 20 kg is even sufficient for this type of self-supported touring.

The fork and rack combination is another concern. The bike has a carbon fork, and Cube specifies compatibility with a Tubus Tara front rack, with a maximum load of 10 kg. Opinions online seem to range from “fine if rated” to “don’t do it at all”.

Tire clearance is comfortable up to 40 mm, with 45 mm as the stated maximum. I’m unsure, however, how much practical benefit the extra width would bring in terms of comfort or durability on long tours.

Wheels may be the biggest question mark. There’s very little information on the stock CUBE RA 1.9, and with only 28 spokes, I’m considering whether it’s worth proactively upgrading to a more touring-oriented wheel set?

I keep coming back to the advice that “the best bike is the one you already own.” For me, that makes sense to a point, but I’m trying to understand where that advice might break down, especially for multi-week or multi-month trips that may extend beyond Western Europe toward Turkey or even further east.

TL;DR: For multi-week to multi-month trips, would you recommend investing in a proper touring bike, or can I reasonably adapt my fitness/gravel bike, with potential minor changes like a different wheel set?