"The proprietor of the LBS told me that a 32 spoke touring wheel should be fine for my 230# body + 25# boke + 50# (?) gear, as he bases his theory on the abuse he heaps on his 32 spoke mountain bike wheels. I'm not too sure."
That's bad advice, not to say you will have problems. Impact loads are completely different from fatigue situations. Also depends what rim size he is basing it on. 32 on 26" is 36 on 700c, 29er, 27". The real clincher is where is the upside? Usually the wheel weight is actually heavier as you go down in spoke numbers because the rim gets heavier for the same strength. But people have built 20 spoke wheels and toured extensively on them, but it doesn't make it the best choice.