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I have not ridden the Tumbleweed, but have a Scrambler and now have a dirt tracker. They are both very fun and confidence inspiring bikes that ride well on roads and trails. They are just fun bikes to ride. I think you would enjoy either for the type of riding you are looking for. Keep an eye out for the next round of Stooge Scramblers, it sounds like it will be a bit more up right with a higher steering tube. This should make for a comfortable bikepacking ride.

Thanks Brian, that's valuable input to work with!

While I haven't ridden a Sunliner, I have a Tumbleweed Prospector and a Stooge Dirt Tracker. The Tumbleweed and Stooge are very different bikes that behave very differently- the Sunliner has older cross-country based geometry common during the 2010s whereas the MK/DT has more progressive geometry. Their geometry differences require two different riding styles, where in steep descents you're hanging off the back of the Tumbleweed while you're leaning forward with your chin over the bars on the Stooge. The long front center on the Stooge is great when terrain is steep- it inspires a lot on confidence with the slack front end and large offset. The Sunliner is more conservative. It's more upright with a shorter top tube and in my experience is more adaptable to different handlebar setups due to the shorter fork offset. The fork mounts are all in the right place, whereas putting a Surly 8-pack rack on the Stooge was so awkward I gave up. In the end, I'd argue the Tumbleweeds are mountain touring bikes where as the Stooges are mountain bikes that you can tour on. If I lived in a place where steep terrain wasn't a common feature then I'd likely look more at a Tumbleweed.