It is my understanding the DOP (date of purchase) is when the warranty starts. By DOP, I mean, the day you sit down with the dealer, sign the final paperwork, give them the balance due and they fill out the warranty document that you sign. They then fax that warranty document into Heartland.
Some customer, for various reasons, need to delay they actual delivery from their dealer, beyond their actual DOP. And it sounds like this was your case.
When I bought my first Heartland, it was a 2005 model year. I did my deal and placed my order with my dealer in October of 2004 with a stated retail delivery date of April 1, 2011. I didn't want the unit sitting on my permanent site with the warranty ticking away and not getting used. On April 2, 2005, I went to the dealer, did my PDI, signed the delivery paperwork, gave them the balance owed, signed the warranty document and took the unit home. My warranty began on April 2.
Again, I understand that everyone's situation is unique and what I did does not work for everyone.
Jim